lit 


LIBRARY  n 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

GIFT  OF 

Mrs.  SARAH  P.  WALSWORTH. 

Received  October,  1894. 
^Accessions  No.£j^0$f:     Class  No. 


MEDITATIONS 


ON 


THE  LAST  DAYS  OF  CHRIST; 


TOGETHER  WITH 


EIGHT   MEDITATIONS 


ON   THE 


SEVENTEENTH  CHAPTER  OF  JOHN. 


BY 


W.  G.  SCHAUFFLER, 

MISSIONARY     AT     CONSTANTINOPLE 


BOSTON: 

JOHN  P.  JEWETT   &   CO. 

CLEVELAND,   OHIO: 

JEWETT,    PROCTOR   &  WORTHINGTON, 

LONDON  :   SAMPSON  LOW,  SON  &  CO. 

1854. 


5*J*W 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1853.  by 

JOnN    P.  JEWETT   &    CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


STEREOTYPED  BT 

HOBART    &    BOBBINS, 

NEW  ENGLAND   TYPE  AND   STEREOTYPE   FOUNDERY, 

BOSTON. 


PREFACE 


Sixteen  years  ago  I  ventured  to  publish  a  few 
Meditations  on  the  last  days  of  Christ,  which  had 
been  preached  in  the  midst  of  plague  and  death,  at 
this  capital.  Peculiar  circumstances  led  to  the 
attempt,  aside  from  the  fact  that  these  sermons  had 
not  remained  without  a  blessing  when  they  were 
delivered,  little  as  our  congregations  then  were. 
Although  they  appeared  in  America  under  very 
unfavorable  circumstances,  and  in  an  extremely 
humble  garb,  they  were  kindly  received,  and  they 
seemed  to  meet  the  wants  and  feelings  of  the  friends 
of  Christ  in  other  parts  also.  For  several  years  past 
the  little  book  has  been  out  of  print,  while  inquiries 
for  it  continued,  to  some  extent,  to  be  made.  It  was 
therefore  thought  justifiable  to  republish  the  work, 
after  a  revision.  It  was  judged  best,  also,  that  a 
few  sermons  on  a  kindred  subject  should  be  added. 
Following  this  advice  of  some  perhaps  too  partial 
friends,  I  made  such  changes  in  the  sermons  which 
had  already  been  published  as  appeared  to  me 
necessary.  I  was,  however,  not  willing  to  efface 
the  impress  which  the  peculiar  circumstances  under 
which  they  had  been  written  and  delivered,  and  my 
1* 


IV  PREFACE. 

feelings  at  that  time,  had  given  them.  I  preferred 
to  leave  many  faults  as  they  were,  in  order  not  to 
change  the  expression  of  those  days.  May  I  not 
hope  for  the  further  kind  indulgence  of  the  Christian 
reader  in  this  respect  ?  Many  specimens  of  perfect 
pulpit  composition  are  before  the  public,  and  their 
number  is  growing  daily.  May  not  the  unpretend- 
ing feelings  of  a  mind  spell-bound  by  a  great  and 
sacred  subject  be  also  permitted  to  speak,  though 
they  may  not  always  find  an  appropriate  utterance  ? 
As  to  the  eight  Sermons  on  the  17th  chapter  of 
the  Gospel  of  John,  I  have  no  other  apology  to  offer 
for  their  publication  than  the  subject  itself,  and  per- 
haps the  fact  that  some  of  my  hearers  thought  favor- 
ably of  them.  Shall  that  chapter,  as  a  connected 
whole,  remain  forever  untouched,  though  given  for 
our  most  devout  and  serious  contemplation,  because 
it  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  profound  portions 
of  scripture  ?  Not  being  aware  of  the  existence  of 
any  practical  expositions  on  this  chapter,  I  made  the 
attempt.  May  it  please  God  to  bless  the  feeble 
effort !  It  is  most  particularly  in  such  a  case,  when 
the  contemplation  of  such  truths  as  this  chapter  pre- 
sents is  attempted,  that  the  power  of  God  must  be 
made  in  human  weakness,  both  in  the  writer  and  in 
the  reader. 

W.  a.  S. 

Constantinople,  July,  1852. 


CONTENTS, 
i. 

CHRIST'S  ENTRANCE  INTO  JERUSALEM, 9 

II. 
-FATHER,  GLORIFY  THY  NAME," 29 

III. 
THE  GREAT  PASSOVER, 48 

IV. 
CHRIST  IN  GETHSEMANE, 72 

V. 
CAPTURE,  ARRAIGNMENT  AND  CONDEMNATION  OF  CHRIST, .  94 

VI. 
BEHOLD  YOUR  KING, 118 

VII. 
THE  SCENE  OF  GOLGOTHA, 138 

VIII. 
THE  PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE  CROSS, 159 

IX. 
THE  BURIAL  OF  CHRIST, 175 

X. 
THE  GREAT  MORNING, 193 

XI. 
THE  WALK  TO  EMMAUS, 219 


VI  CONTENTS. 

XII. 
THE  GREAT  EVENING, 241 

XIII. 
THOMAS'   CONVERSION, 263 

XIV. 

THE  EARLY  MEETING  AT  THE  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS,    .   .   .   .  284 

XV. 

THE  MEETING  OF  THE  FIVE  HUNDRED   BRETHREN,     .   .   .  306 

XVI. 
THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD, 327 


PART    II. 
I. 

THE  APPROACH, 343 

II. 
ETERNAL  LIFE, 358 

III. 
THE  FATHER  MANIFESTED  BY  THE  SON, 369 

IV. 
THE  GREAT  INTERCESSION, 382 

V. 
THE  SOLEMN  AND  RESPONSIBLE  RELATION, 393 

VI. 
THE  BOND  OF  PERFECTNESS, 405 

VII. 
THE  GREAT  DEMAND, 41G 

VIII. 
THE  ETERNAL  DESTINY 427 


Oar 


I. 


CHRIST  S    ENTRANCE    INTO    JERUSALEM. 

On  the  next  day,  much  people  that  were  coming  to  the  feast,  when  they 
heard  that  Jesus  was  coming  to  Jerusalem,  took  branches  of  palm-trees, 
and  went  forth  to  meet  him,  and  cried,  Hosanna  :  Blessed  is  the  King  of 
Israel  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  And  Jesus,  when  he  had 
found  a  young  ass,  sat  thereon  ;  as  it  is  written,  Fear  not,  Daughter  of 
Zion  :  behold,  thy  King  cometh,  sitting  on  an  ass's  colt.  These  things 
understood  not  his  disciples  at  the  first :  but  when  Jesus  was  glorified,  then 
remembered  they  that  these  things  were  written  of  him,  and  that  they  had 
done  these  things  unto  him.  The  people  therefore  that  was  with  him 
when  he  called  Lazarus  out  of  his  grave,  and  raised  him  from  the  dead, 
bare  record.  For  this  cause  the  people  also  met  him,  for  that  they  heard 
that  he  had  done  this  miracle.  The  Pharisees  therefore  said  among  them- 
selves, Perceive  ye  how  ye  prevail  nothing  ?  behold,  the  world  is  gone  after 
him. — John  12  :  12 — 19.  Compare  Matthew  21 :  1 — 11  ;  Mark  11  :  1 — 
11  ;  Luke  19  :  29—44. 

With  the  leave  of  Divine  Providence,  I  have  purposed, 
partly  for  my  own  instruction  and  edification,  to  deliver  a 
course  of  sermons  upon  the  last  days  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  on  earth,  commencing  with  his  solemn  entrance  into 
Jerusalem,  as  it  is  set  forth  in  the  portions  of  Scripture 
which  I  have  chosen  for  the  text  of  this  discourse.  Nor  will 
this  be  done  without  the  edification  of  those  who  may  hear 
me,  provided  divine  assistance  is  vouchsafed  to  me,  to  give 
me  an  insight  into  the  portions  of  Holy  Writ  which  I  may  be 
called  to  handle,  and  to  open  the  eyes  of  my  understanding, 


10  CHRIST'S   ENTRANCE   INTO   JERUSALEM. 

that  I  may  see  "the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
God,  as  it  shines  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

I  have  formed  this  purpose  for  my  instruction,  I  say ; 
because  there  are  various  difficulties  of  different  kinds  attend- 
ing this  part  of  the  history  of  Christ.  These  I  shall  endeavor 
to  clear  away  by  an  exhibition  of  the  events  in  their  true 
order  and  connection,  as  they  may  appear  after  a  careful 
examination  of  the  harmony  of  the  four  evangelists,  and  by 
such  other  observations  as  may  tend  to  throw  light  upon  the 
sacred  text.  I  have  made  it  for  my  edification,  because  I 
am  convinced  that,  unless  I  am  altogether  deserted  from 
above, —  which  may  God  in  mercy  avert !  —  such  scenes  as 
shall  come  before  me  cannot  be  contemplated  without  serious 
spiritual  enjoyment  and  advantage.  May  it  please  Him,  with 
whom  is  the  residue  of  the  Spirit,  who  himself  is  the  living 
fountain,  and  in  whose  light  alone  we  can  see  light,  to  give 
me  such  help,  such  insight  and  enjoyment,  in  this  my  under- 
taking, as  will  show  that  it  remains  still  true  what  his  servant 
of  old  said  of  Him, —  "  He  giveth  power  to  the  faint,  and  to 
them  that  have  no  might  he  increaseth  strength.  Even  the 
youth  shall  faint  and  be  weary,  and  the  young  men  shall 
utterly  fall ;  but  they  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew 
their  strength ;  they  shall  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles ; 
they  shall  run,  and  not  be  weary ;  they  shall  walk,  and  not 
faint."     Is.  40th  chap. 

Such  is  the  interest  thrown  around  the  various  scenes  in 
the  field  of  contemplation  before  me,  that  I  hardly  dare  cast 
forward  my  looks,  lest  I  should  faint  and  relinquish  my  task, 
as  incapable  even  of  the  slightest  approximation ;  lest,  forget- 
ting that  the  power  of  God  is  made  perfect  in  weakness,  I 
should  exclaim,  with  Peter,  "Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a 
sinful  man,  0  Lord." 


11 


There  it  lies,  the  whole  vast  picture, —  rich,  various,  an 
unique  combination  of  all  that  is  just,  good,  holy,  heavenly, 
divine,  on  the  one  hand;  and  all  that  is  black,  disgusting 
and  diabolical,  on  the  other; — the  most  interesting  part  of 
the  most  interesting  history  of  our  globe,  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end  of  time, —  the  revealed  light  of  heaven  mingling 
in  contest  with  the  smoke  of  the  bottomless  pit ;  divine  love 
and  forbearance  and  infernal  hatred  and  outrage  in  close 
encounter, —  Heaven  on  the  one  side,  hell  on  the  other,  and  a 
■wicked  perishing  world  in  the  centre. —  the  Lamb  of  God  on 
the  accursed  tree;  here  a  dying,  penitent  sinner;  there  an 
expiring,  cursing  wretch;  believers  dispersing,  doubting, 
denying,  swearing,  repenting,  weeping,  recovering ;  high  trea- 
son committed,  and  punished  with  unavailing  sorrows  and 
everlasting  burnings ;  the  world  and  hell  in  a  shout  of  triumph, 
because  heaven  is  defeated  and  its  hero  slain  ;  the  everlasting 
interests  of  a  world  at  stake /and  involved  in  impenetrable 
gloom  for  thirty-six  hours;  the  heavens  darkened,  and  the 
earth  convulsed  and  shook  out  of  her  place ;  and,  as  the  catas- 
trophe of  the  whole,  the  armies  of  hell  routed,  the  main  power 
of  Satan  broken,  a  divine  dispensation  closed  forever  ;  Christ 
reigning  victorious ;  a  new  irrevocable  covenant  between  God 
and  repenting  sinners  established ;  songs  of  triumph  in  heaven ; 
the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  God  and  of  his  Christ  com- 
menced upon  earth  j  and  between  these  leading  facts  numerous 
collateral  circumstances,  but  even  these,  like  stars  of  minor 
magnitude,  each  still  a  world  by  itself.  This  is  the  sketch ; 
these  are  the  elements  of  the  story  before  me,  upon  all  of 
which  to  touch,  even  in  the  most  protracted  course  of  ser- 
mons, would  be  counting  the  stars, —  an  awful,  fearful, 
delightful  view  ! 

But  I  must  not  indulge,  for  my  own  discouragement,  in 


12 


anticipations  like  these.  I  have  chosen  a  text, —  I  owe  you 
an  explanation  of  it,  and  it  shall  be  deferred  no  longer.  It 
was  not  without  hesitation  that  I  chose  the  first  text  and  sub- 
ject of  my  contemplated  series  of  discourses.  There  are 
various  points  in  the  history  of  our  Lord  which  seemed 
almost  to  have  equal  claims  with  this.  After  all,  however, 
my  text  struck  me  as  being  especially  prominent,  because  it 
is  the  first  public  step  which  Christ  took  to  show  his  char- 
acter, to  meet  his  last  trials,  and  to  finish  the  work  which  his 
heavenly  Father  had  given  him  to  do  on  earth. 

We  shall,  at  this  time,  contemplate  more  particularly, 

I.  Christ  setting  out  on  his  triumphant  entrance 
into  Jerusalem. 

II.  The  rejoicing  disciples. 

III.  The  willing  people. 

IV.  The  gainsaying  Pharisees. 

V.  Jesus'  tears. 
I.  It  was  towards  the  close  of  our  Lord's   ministry  on 

earth  that  the  exasperation  of  the  most  influential  among  the 
Pharisees,  the  Scribes,  and  the  elders  of  the  Jews,  rose  to  such 
a  height  as  to  render  Jerusalem  no  longer  a  safe  abode  for 
him.  The  resurrection  of  Lazarus  from  the  grave  had  filled 
the  measure  of  their  rage,  and  satisfied  their  minds  that 
nothing  short  of  the  violent  death  of  their  formidable  adver- 
sary could  answer  their  purpose,  and  liberate  them  from  the 
fearful  apprehensions  with  which  his  growing  popularity 
began  to  fill  their  bosoms.  Down  with  him !  So  it  echoed 
from  mouth  to  mouth.  Down  with  the  Sabbath-breaker,  the 
despiser  of  our  venerable,  sacred  traditions,  who  dares  to 
oppose  council,  sanhedrim  and  high-priests,  and  to  foil  them 
by  his  continual  troublesome  appeals  "  to  the  law  and  to  the 
testimony." .    Down  with  him  I   though  he  cleanse   all  the 


CHRIST'S   ENTRANCE   INTO   JERUSALEM.  13 

lepers,  heal  all  the  sick,  raise  all  the  dead,  comfort  all  the 
afflicted,  feed  all  the  poor,  and  save  all  the  perishing  souls 
from  Dan  to  Beersheba.  Down  with  him  !  for  it  is  better 
that  he  and  all  the  poor  and  sick  perish  throughout  the  land, 
than  that  our  synagogue  establishment  should  suffer,  our 
craft  get  into  disrepute,  and  our  income  cease. 

On  this  account,  when  Christ  returned  for  the  last  time 
to  Jerusalem,  his  hour  being  not  yet  come,  he  stopped  for 
some  time  at  Ephraim,  a  city,  or  rather  an  obscure  town, 
probably  but  a  few  miles  north-east  from  Jerusalem,  on  the 
borders  of  the  desert  of  Judah.  (John  11  :  59.)  Six  days, 
that  is,  as  chronologists  would  have  it,  the  Sabbath  or  Satur- 
day before  the  passover,  he  came  up  from  Ephraim  to 
Bethany,  where  Lazarus  and  his  sister  lived,  to  attend  a  sup- 
per, which  seems  to  have  been  prepared  for  him  in  particular, 
and  where  Lazarus  was  one  of  the  guests,  Martha  served, 
and  Mary  anointed  Christ  with  precious  ointment,  while  he 
was  reclining  at  the  table.  This  is  doubtless  the  same  sup- 
per with  that  of  which  we  read  in  Matthew  26,  and  Mark  14, 
where  Simon  the  leper  is  mentioned  as  the  host.  The 
apparent  discrepancy  between  John  and  the  two  evangelists 
last  alluded  to  admits  of  such  an  easy  and  satisfactory  solu- 
tion, that  it  is  astonishing  how  men  of  sense  could  ever  have 
thought  of  two  distinct  suppers  at  Bethany, —  one  before  and 
one  after  the  entrance  of  Christ  into  Jerusalem ;  at  each  of 
which  Christ  had  been  anointed  by  a  woman ;  at  each  of 
which  his  disciples  had  rebuked  the  person  urging  the  same 
plea  for  the  poor  and  receiving  the  same  answer  from  Christ, 
other  obvious  coincidences  not  to  mention.  That  Matthew 
and  Mark  mention  the  supper  after  the  entrance  of  Christ 
into  Jerusalem,  while  John  introduces  it  as  occupying  the  day 
before,  will  not  appear  strange,  if  we  consider  that  Matthew 


14 


does  not  aim  at  chronological  order,  but  relates  his  facts  upon 
the  principle  of  some  moral  symmetry  which  he  has  in  view. 
Mark  frequently  follows  the  same  method,  from  the  same  con- 
sideration. An  attentive  reading  of  these  two  evangelists 
will  satisfy  any  one  on  the  subject.  All  the  objections  which 
have  been  urged  against  the  identity  of  these  two  suppers  are 
too  trifling  almost  to  deserve  a  refutation.  One  evangelist 
says  that  the  woman  anointed  the  feet  of  Christ,  and  the 
other  that  she  anointed  his  head.  And  the  easy  reply  is, 
that  both  are  right,  that  neither  denies  what  the  other 
asserts,  and  that  both  the  head  and  the  feet  of  Christ  were 
anointed.  Either  was  the  practice  on  such  occasions,  as  we 
may  safely  infer  from  Luke  7 :  46.  There  Christ  says  to  the 
Pharisee  in  whose  house  he  sat  down  to  meat,  and  where 
also  he  was  anointed  by  a  woman  of  unhappy  notoriety,* 
"Mine  head  with  oil  thou  didst  not  anoint,  but  this  woman 
has  anointed  my  feet  with  ointment."  And  as  this  and  the 
transposition  of  the  narrative  are  the  only  differences  between 
the  evangelists,  I  maintain  that  John,  Matthew  and  Mark, 
refer  to  the  same  supper,  in  which  John  keeps  the  order  of 
time,  and,  after  having  related  this  occurrence  in  its  proper 
place,  he  goes  on  to  state  that  on  the  next  day  after  the  sup- 
per in  Simon's  house  our  Lord  set  out  publicly  to  enter  the 
royal  city. 

He  set  out  from  Bethany.  Matthew  makes  the  impression 
that  he  obtained  his  animal  from  Bethphage.  These  two  places 
were  both  situated  on  the  east  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  north- 
east from  Jerusalem;  and  they  were  so  near  to  each  other 
that  Christ  may  have  sent  to  Bethphage  after  having  set  out, 
himself,  on  foot  from  Bethany, —  he,  perhaps,  passing  up  the 
Mount  of  Olives  with  the  people,  while  some  of  his  disciples 

*  Not  Mary  Magdalene,  as  some  think  ;  her  name  is  unknown. 


CHRIST'S    ENTRANCE    INTO    JERUSALEM.  15 

procured  the  animal.  This  latter  appears  to  have  been  bor- 
rowed from  a  couple  of  men  well  inclined  towards  our  Lord ; 
for  otherwise  the  commission  of  Christ,  as  well  as  the  owners' 
readiness  to  comply  as  soon  as  they  heard  that  ''  the  Lord 
had  need"  of  the  creature,  could  not  well  be  explained. 

The  ass  is  brought,  and  Christ  proceeds  up  the  ascent, 
accompanied  by  a  crowd  of  disciples,  and  a  large  number 
of  people  from  abroad,  who  were  come  to  the  approaching 
feast,  and  who  had  visited  Bethany  to  see  Lazarus  after  his 
miraculous  resurrection,  glorifying  God  for  all  these  displays 
of  his  power.  As  they  approach  the  top  of  the  mountain,  the 
prospect  widens ;  and  what  the  weakness  of  the  bodily  senses 
cannot  reach  or  discern,  the  charm  of  an  imagination  well 
acquainted  with  the  sacred  relics  of  the  Holy  Land  would,  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  gather  within  the  compass  of  their 
horizon.  In  front  there  lies  the  "  mountain  of  the  Lord's 
house,"  crowned  with  the  royal  city, —  the  only,  exclusive, 
earthly  dwelling-place  of  the  Most  High.  On  the  west  the 
great  sea,  whose  mighty  ships  are  one  day,  and  perhaps  soon, 
to  bring  back  the  dispersed  of  Israel  from  theTour  winds  of 
heaven,  and  whose  remotest  islands  and  shores  are,  ere  long, 
to  stretch  out  their  hands  unto  Jehovah.  Did  one  of  the 
company  chance  to  look  back,  there  was  Jordan,  the  witness 
of  divine  power  when  Israel  passed  through  it  dry-shod,  to 
take  possession  of  the  promised  land ;  and  the  Dead  Sea,  the 
emblem  of  God's  wrath  over  all  the  incorrigible  enemies  of 
his  word  and  work.  On  the  south  there  lay  the  birth-place 
of  Him  "  whose  goings  forth  are  from  old,  from  everlasting  ;" 
and  dear  Hebron,  of  sacred  memory,  was  also  near,  the  dwell- 
ing-place of  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faithful.  It  was  a 
wonderful,  soul-inspiring  panorama  of  sacred  places,  witnesses 
of  divine  revelations,  of  mercies,  judgments  and  wonders,  past 


16  CHRIST'S  ENTRANCE   INTO   JERUSALEM. 

numbering.  And.  what  completed  the  sacred  enthusiasm  of 
the  pious  company,  in  the  midst  of  them  was  riding,  upon 
an  ass-colt,  a  mysterious  man,  with  unassuming  plainness, 
heaven  in  his  countenance,  of  whose  love  and  miraculous 
power  the  land  was  ringing  again,  and  whose  every  step, 
word,  look  and  turn,  was  but  a  new  proof  that  he  moved  in  a 
more  than  human  sphere.  What  wonder,  then,  if  their  feel- 
ings were  enlarged,  their  hopes  raised  high,  and  their  hearts 
filled  with  joy  to  overflowing?  They  look  at  him  again.  Is 
he  not  the  promised  peaceful  King  of  God's  people?  Yes, 
it  is  he  !  He  it  is, —  or  no  one  ever  comes  !  They  tear 
branches  from  the  trees,  and  throw  them  into  the  way,  as 
marks  of  their  reverence  and  joy ;  they  mind  not  their  gar- 
ments —  they  spread  them  out  into  the  dust,  and,  as  he  rides 
away  over  them,  they  burst  forth  into  a  song,  Hosanna  to  the 
Son  of  David  !  Blessed  is  the  King  of  Israel,*  that  cometh  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  !  Hosanna  in  the  highest  —  according 
as  it  is  written,  "  Rejoice  greatly,  0  daughter  of  Zion  !  shout, 
0  daughter  of  Jerusalem ;  behold !  thy  King  cometh  unto 
thee;  he  is  just,  and  having  salvation;  lowly,  and  riding 
upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass." 

II.  But  we  must  not  overlook  with  whom  the  joy  of  our 
happy  company  to-day. originated.  This  we  learn  from  the 
evangelist  Luke.  "And  when  he  was  come  nigh,  even  now 
at  the  descent  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  whole  multitude 
of  the  disciples  began  to  rejoice  and  praise  God  with  a  loud 
voice  for  all  the  mighty  works  that  they  had  seen."  This 
main  object  of  the  triumphal  march  is  now  obtained.  The 
disciples  are  now  all  convinced  and  sure  the  Messiah  is 
among  them.  And  (mark  this),  they  see  in  him  not  the 
worldly  conqueror,  bent  on  revenge  and  slaughter,  but  the 
peaceful  Lord,  the  deliverer  from  all  evil,  the  spiritual  and 


CHRIST'S    ENTRANCE    INTO    JERUSALEM.  17 

everlasting  King,  whose  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world  in  the 
usual  sense  of  the  term.  Their  hearts  overflow ;  they  can 
refrain  no  longer;  their  feelings  want  utterance,  and  they 
burst  forth, —  not  into  a  wild  cry  of  war  and  bloodshed,  not 
into  threatenings  and  imprecations  against  their  enemies,  nor 
into  flattering  encomiums  of  their  new  king,  but  into  a  sacred 
song  of  praise  and  prayer,  in  which  angels  might  well  have 
joined  :  "  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David  !  Blessed  is  he  that 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  !  Hosanna  in  the  highest  ! 
Blessed  be  the  kingdom  of  our  father  David,  which  cometh 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  !  Peace  in  heaven,  and  glory  in  the 
highest !  "  That  their  frame  of  mind  was  at  least  not  alto- 
gether different  from  what  our  Lord  wished  it  to  be,  is  clear 
from  the  fact  that  he  indulged  and  encouraged  them  him- 
self. On  other  similar  occasions  he  had  withdrawn  and  hid 
himself  when  the  people  endeavored  to  proclaim  him  Messiah, 
because  then  their  minds  were  wholly  unprepared,  and  their 
motives  and  expectations  low  and  carnal.  Now,  seeing  them 
in  some  measure  prepared  to  enter  into  his  views,  he  gives 
them  occasion,  himself,  for  doing  so,  by  the  most  forcible 
allusion  possible  to  the  well-known  prophecy  in  Zechariah,  9th 
chapter. 

To  see  Christ  exalted  and  glorified  is  the  chief  delight  of^ 
every  true  believer,  and  the  ultimate  object  of  all  his  prayers 
and  efforts.  To  see  him  jforgotten,  neglected  and  despised, 
mingles  wormwood  in  the  cup  of  his  joy,  and  would  make* 
existence  itself  burdensome  to  him  at  last.  But  Christ  is 
glorified  and  honored  in  the  highest  possible  degree,  when  he 
can  enter  as  the  prince  of  life  and  peace,  here  into  a  heart, 
there  into  a  family,  a  church  and  congregation,  a  city,  or  a 
land,  and  pour  his  rich  and  precious  blessings  freely  over 
them.  And  hence  his  true  friends  are  never  happier  than 
9* 


18  CHRIST'S   ENTRANCE   INTO    JERUSALEM. 

when  they  are  permitted  to  precede  and  to  follow  him  in  his 
march,  with  the  voice  of  rejoicing  and  triumph,  when  they 
see  the  people  "  willing  in  the  day  of  his  power,"  flocking  to 
him  "as  clouds  and  as  doves  to  their  windows."  They 
delight  to  be  the  helpers  of  the  young  convert's  first  love  and 
first  joy.  They  remember  the  time  when  they  themselves 
were  sitting  in  darkness ;  when  the  awakened  conscience 
poured  its  thunders  into  their  guilty  souls ;  when  they  wished 
to  pray,  but  had  no  heart  to  it;  when  they  wanted  to  u  flee 
from  the  wrath  to  come,"  but  their  feet  seemed  to  be  riveted 
to  the  ground ;  when  they  wished  to  make  themselves  better 
by  good  works,  but  grew  worse  every  minute;  when  the 
heavens  above  them  were  as  black  as  pitch,  and  as  impene- 
trable as  brass ;  when  they  longed  to  turn  back  to  naught, 
but  found  themselves  shut  into  existence  by  everlasting  bars, 
and  doomed  to  eternal  consciousness  by  the  decree  of  him 
who  changeth  not,  though  heaven  and  earth  pass  away  ;  when 
they  wanted  to  curse  the  day  of  their  birth,  but,  feeling  *  the 
guilt  to  be  theirs,  durst  not  indulge  even  that  miserable  grat- 
ification, and  went  away,  broken-hearted,  into  the  remotest 
corner,  and  sat  down  and  wept  sore  and  long.  But  while 
they  are  weeping,  all  at  once,  behold !  a  ray  of  light  breaks 
through  the  darkness  of  their  souls.  Hearken !  a  voice 
comes  from  above, —  and  0,  the  blessed  message  !  "  Rejoice 
greatly,  0  daughter  of  Zion ;  shout,  0  daughter  of  Jerusa- 
lem; behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto  thee;  he  is  just  and 
having  salvation."  And  they,  shedding  tears  of  joy,  reply : 
"Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David,  who  cometh  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  !  Hosanna  in  the  highest !  "  They  remember  all 
this,  I  say,  and  they  know  that  it  is  the  appropriate  glory  of 
Christ,  and  his  highest  desire  and  delight,  so  to  appear  to 
perishing  sinners  when  all  else  have  forsaken  them.     They 


19 


want  that  he  should  be  filled  with  the  travail  of  his  soul  and 
be  satisfied.  Nor  can  they  rest  easy  until  their  consciences 
bear  them  witness  that  they  are  doing  all  they  can  to  prepare 
his  way,  and  that  they  are  continually  praying  for  his  coming. 

III.  The  disciples  have  no  sooner  tuned  their  voices  to 
the  sacred  song,  than  the  people  join  them, —  a  delightful 
chorus.  They  cut  branches  from  the  surrounding  trees,  and 
spread  them  into  the  way  ;  they  spare  not  their  very  garments. 
A  foretaste  of  celestial  joy  absorbs  every  other  thought 
throughout  the  whole  company.  This  is  the  regular  course 
of  things.  When  Christians  wake  up,  the  people  rejoice ; 
while  Christians  slumber,  the  people  will  continue  in  the 
road  to  death.     Exceptions  to  this  rule  are  rare. 

It  is  delightful  to  see  the  people  willing  in  the  day  of 
God's  power,  crowding  around  Christ.  But  there  is  still  a 
thought  which  not  unfrequetitly  casts  a  cloud  over  the  scene. 
They  are  willing;  but  0  that  they  were  determined  to  serve 
Christ !  Not  your  garments  he  wants,  but  your  hearts  ! 
Not  your  willingness  to  rejoice  in  his  light ;  your  fixed  im- 
movable purpose  to  be  his  forever.  This  is  what  he  wants, 
and  what  alone  will  make  Christians  of  you,  and  save  you. 
Nor  is  the  distance  between  a  willingness  to  be  a  Christian 
and  a  determination  to  be  one  trifling.  It  is  enormous  ! 
Angels  cannot  tell  the  number  of  those  who  perished,  with 
all  the  willingness  in  the  world  to  be  saved,  simply  because 
firmness  of  purpose  was  wanting. 

I  will  do  no  wrong  to  our  willing  people  to-day.  I  do  not 
believe,  as  many  do,  that  this  body  of  men,  who  are  now 
singing  hosanna,  were  the  very  same  ones  who,  a  few  days 
after,  roared  out,  "  Crucify  him  !  crucify  him  !  "  Ours  is  a 
company  of  strangers,  who  came  to  the  feast ;  and,  having 
heard  of  Lazarus'  resurrection  from  the  grave,  went  out  to 


20  Christ's  entrance  into  Jerusalem. 

see  him,  and  rejoiced,  and  glorified  God.  They  are  well- 
disposed  people;  and  being  strangers,  and  dispersed  in  the 
large  city  among  friends  and  acquaintances,  they  could  hardly 
have  received  information  of  what  was  going  on  in  that 
darkest  of  all  nights,  when  Christ  was  betrayed  and  con- 
demned to  death.  And  the  first  word  which  probably  most 
of  them  heard  of  it  was,  that  the  young  Rabbi  was  con- 
demned to  death,  and  just  hurrying  to  the  place  of  execution. 
But  the  clamorous  crowd  before  Pilate's  door  was  chiefly 
from  the  mob  of  Jerusalem,  well  known,  and  in  their 
interests  wedded  to  the  High  Priests  and  Pharisees;  and 
they  were  probably  called  together  by  some  special  effort  of 
these  ecclesiastical  dignitaries.  For  these  cautious  assassins 
expressly  said,  "  Not  on  the  feast-day,  lest  there  be  an  uproar 
among  the  people;"  and  they  pressed  on  all  the  night  to 
accomplish  their  purpose,  with  the  most  unheard-of  anxiety 
and  vigor. 

Still,  there  were,  doubtless,  among  our  willing  people, 
many  with  whom  the  divine  word  and  divine  joys  fell  into 
stony  ground,  and  having  not  root,  withered  in  the  time 
of  offence  and  persecution.  There  were  those  whose  hearts 
had  begun  to  be  overrun  with  the  thorns  and  briers  of  worldly 
cares  and  plans,  or  were  becoming  hard,  like  the  broad  high- 
way of  honor,  wealth  and  pleasure,  "  which  leadeth  unto 
death."  Now  they  rejoice,  and  are  nigh  to  the  kingdom  of 
heaven;  they  are  willing.  But  many  of  them  wanting 
depth,  singleness  of  purpose,  and  determination,  they  soon 
faint,  and  give  it  all  up  again ;  and  this  day  of  high  religious 
privilege,  instead  of  becoming  a  blessing  to  them,  will  prove 
a  curse  and  a  condemnation  forever.  However,  some  of  our 
happy  company  to-day,  who,  perhaps,  never  before  had  sung 
hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David,  are  doubtless  now  singing  his 


21 


nobler  prise  in  the  world  above.     May  the  number  of  such 

be  ._  And   may  we  learn  of   them    the  value  of   an 

nnpervertd,  plain  good  sense,  and  of  openness  to  the  truth, 

which  oftn  prepare  the  way  of  Christ  in  our  hearts ;  while 

artificial  rinds,  thrown  out  of  balance  by  an  over-stock  of 

earth-boj  knowledge,  such  as  we  shall  meet  with  under  the 

next  heac  are  sure  to  meet  with  the  doom  of  reprobation. 

IV.  ^  class  of  men,  it  seems,  followed  Christ  more  per- 

ingljin  his  ministrations  than  the  Pharisees.     Where  he 

.ere  tey  are  also.     Even  here,  on  the  top  of  the  solitary 

Mount  o    'lives,  they  are  present,  with  no  profit  or  pleasure, 

eithe  -mselves  or  to  anybody  else.     Methinks  I  can 

see  mding  on  some  elevation  along  the  road,  to  see 

the  uninstructed  people  pass  by,  while  they  wisely 

shak  heads    at    their   extravagance.     They  affect   to 

who  accompany  Christ,  and  yet  they  are  again 

and  ixious  for  their  perishing  cause,  and  say  to  one 

another     Perceive  ye  how  ye  prevail  nothing?  behold,  the 

world  i     one  after  him."     And  when  they  hear  the  people 

burstin     ut  into  hosannas,  they  can  contain  themselves  no 

long  addressing  Christ  while  he  is  passing  by,  they 

exclaii       Master,  rebuke  thy  disciples;"   to  which  Christ 

repl  ell  you  that  if  these  should  hold  their  peace,  the 

d  immediately  cry  out ! " 

The  -  do  not  appear  here,  as  in  other  instances,  in 

the  r  of  self-righteous  men  in  particular,  for  this 

best  of  theirs  was  not  especially  called  into  exercise 

in  tl  at  instance.     They  appear  to  me  to  act  simply  as 

nt,  cold-hearted  men,  whose  deep-rooted  preju- 

permit  them  to  sympathize  with  the  feelings  of 

bo  surrounded  Christ.     The  Pharisees  were  a 

of  men,  who  had  enough  to  do  to  master  the 


22  CHRIST'S   ENTRANCE   INTO   JERUSALEM. 

enormous  mass  of  their  traditions,  some  of  which  are  by  no 
means  destitute  of  interest.  Their  heads  were  well  stored 
with  such  knowledge  as  their  age  afforded,  and  their  hearts 
enjoyed  a  degree  of  self-confidence  far  outstripping  the  extent 
of  their  mental  acquisitions,  as  is  usually  the  case  with 
learned  men  who  are  destitute  of  true  religion.  They  had 
everything,  and  knew  everything,  and  were  quite  prepared  to 
master  all  the  world,  while  they  themselves  had  no  idea  of 
making  any  new  experience,  or  admitting  any  truth  which 
they  could  not  draw  from  their  own  fountain. 

There  is  an  unhappy  and  spoiled  class  of  studious  and  cul- 
tivated men,  called  literary,  who,  by  an  undue  and  dispropor- 
tioned  cultivation  of  the  intellect,  have  so  far  chilled  every 
affection  of  the  heart,  as  to  be  unwilling,  and  at  last  naturally 
unable,  to  go  with  their  feelings  one  inch  further  than  the 
most  common  relations  of  life  would  necessarily  carry  a  man. 
For  the  other  world  and  its  realities  they  have  syllogisms 
enough,  but  no  affections.  In  speculating  on  these  things, 
they  will  go  with  any  one  to  any  length  to  which  their  powers 
can  stretch;  and  they  will  be  delighted  with  the  most  hair- 
splitting and  unpractical  sophisms  on  the  subjects  of  God, 
eternity,  immortality,  personal  identity,  moral  accounta- 
bility, etc.  etc.  But  as  for  feeling,  they  are  the  very  last 
men.  Repentance  ?  —  Ah  !  that  will  do  for  vicious  people. 
Faith  ?  —  0  yes  !  for  the  illiterate,  who  are  groping  in  the 
darkness  of  vulgar  ignorance,  faith  is  necessary  indeed,  and  a 
very  excellent  thing  to  keep  them  steady.  But  for  such  men 
as  we  !  —  Regeneration,  communion  with  God  and  heavenly 
things,  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost !  0.  intolerable 
mysticism  !  And  what  makes  the  condemnation  of  these 
ruined  men  the  surer  is,  that  they  are  usually  m,oral  people. 
Close   habits   of  study  and   severe   application   are   utterly 


CHRIST'S   ENTRANCE    INTO    JERUSALEM.  23 

inconsistent  with  sensual  indulgences,  and  in  all  common 
cases  preclude  immoral  and  licentious  habits.  Hence  they 
are  fully  satisfied  that  they  are  right,  and  every  idea  which 
they  cannot  reach  with  their  philosophy  is  folly,  every  exer- 
cise of  devotion  which  does  not  grow  in  the  sandy  desert  of 
their  own  experience  is  fanaticism,  and  every  religious  feeling 
which  they  do  not  find  in  the  ice-house  of  their  unfeeling 
hearts  is  nonsense  and  extravagance.  They  have  built  up 
for  themselves  a  system ;  and  because  that  system  is  har- 
monious with  itself,  they  most  vainly  and  unphilosophically 
suppose  that  it  must  needs  be  true  too  ;  and  thus  they  con- 
fidently venture  their  souls  and  all  eternity  upon  it.  But  it 
is  one  thing  for  a  theory  to  be  consistent,  and  quite  another 
thing  to  be  true.  And  if  it  should  turn  out  to  be  fact,  that 
their  theory  is  false,  and  that  of  the  Bible  true  (and  their 
own  philosophy  recognizes  this  tremendous  possibility),  they 
are  undone  forever !  But  they  have  no  idea  they  can  be 
wrong.  In  times  of  religious  excitement  they  smile,  they 
wonder,  and  gainsay,  and  perish ;  and  if  Christ  himself  were 
present,  they  would  have  no  hesitation  to  pass  their  sage  sen- 
tence upon  his  character,  superciliously  to  reprove  his  con- 
duct, and  to  teach  him  how  to  wield  and  manage  the  helm  of 
the  church.  They  wish  for  no  teaching  from  above ;  they 
shut  themselves  out  from  the  privilege  of  any  new  spiritual 
experiences,  and  make  themselves  voluntarily  a  kind  of  intel- 
lectual brute  beast,  unfit  for  that  sanctuary  above,  where 
"Holiness  to  the  Lord"  is  writen  upon  every  vessel,  and 
where  nothing  but  the  absolute  perfection  which  Christ  pos- 
sesses and  bestows  has  currency  and  value. 

V.  "  And  when  he  was  come  near,  he  beheld  the  city  and 
wept  over  it,  saying,  If  thou  hadst  known,  even  thou,  at 
least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  which  belong  unto  thy  peace ! 


24  CHRIST'S   ENTRANCE   INTO   JERUSALEM. 

but  now  they  are  hid  from  thine  eyes.  For  the  days  shall 
come  upon  thee,  that  thine  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about 
thee,  and  compass  thee  round  and  keep  thee  in  on  every  side, 
and  shall  lay  thee  even  with  the  ground,  and  thy  children 
within  thee  ;  and  they  shall  not  leave  in  thee  one  stone  upon 
another,  because  thou  knowest  not  the  time  of  thy  visitation." 

They  had  probably  passed  the  brook  of  Cedron  by  this 
time,  and  began  to  ascend  towards  the  gate  next  to  the  tem- 
ple, to  which,  on  account  of  the  utter  confusion  that  reigns 
on  the  subject  of  the  order  in  which  the  gates  of  ancient 
Jerusalem  should  be  located,  I  dare  assign  no  particular 
name.  Nor  is  this  of  any  consequence.  They  are  now 
about  entering  the  city.  The  road  begins  to  be  crowded  ;  the 
buzz  of  the  multitude,  partly  natives  of  Jerusalem,  and 
partly  strangers,  who  were  present  on  account  of  the  ap- 
proaching feast,  all  thronging  the  streets  and  the  gates,  now 
breaks  upon  the  ear.  What  could  be  more  apt  to  remind 
Christ  of  that  period  when  Jerusalem,  crowded  to  overflow- 
ing, would  become  the  theatre  of  wars,  intestine  and  foreign, 
civil  and  religious;  of  famine,  disease,  fire,  theft,  highway 
robbery,  assassination,  cannibalism,  treason,  revenge,  despair 
and  blasphemy,  and  at  last  of  utter  destruction,  so  as  actu- 
ally to  admit  of  no  parallel,  either  in  sacred  or  profane  his- 
tory !  The  very  preparation  of  the  people  for  a  holy  season, 
the  cheerfulness  and  the  high  flow  of  spirits  they  indulged 
in,  must  have  deepened  the  gloom  of  the  dismal  picture 
presented  to  his  mind. 

He  looked  up  to  the  unhappy  city,  whose  last  ray  of  glory 
was  now  about  to  be  extinguished,  which  was  herself  just 
sealing  her  doom  by  neglecting  the  time  of  her  last  visitation 
of  mercy.  He  looked  up,  and  wept.  How  eminently  he 
was  the  master  of  his  emotions  and  his  tears,  and  how  sparing 


25 


with  the  latter,  we  have  more  proofs  than  we  need  in  his 
history.  The  sight  of  Gethsemane,  as  he  passed  it  a  few 
minutes  before,  drew  no  tear  from  his  eyes ;  the  sight  of 
Jerusalem  breaks  his  heart.  In  the  presence  of  a  gazing 
multitude,  a  flood  of  tears  rolls  down  his  cheeks,  and  out  of 
the  abundance  of  his  tender  heart  his  mouth  speaketh,  over- 
flowing with  sentiments  of  compassion.  The  sins  of  this 
rebellious  and  untoward  generation,  "stiff-necked  and  uncir- 
cumcised  in  hearts  and  ears,"  though  they  reached  to  the 
very  heavens,  seemed  to  be  forgotten  ;  their  approaching  ruin 
is  all  he  can  now  realize.  They  are  ready  to  murder  him ; 
but  0  !  how  can  his  heart  bear  to  dwell  on  his  own  suffer- 
ings, when  the  gathering  storm  of  hail,  mingled  with  fire, 
prepares  to  pour  upon  his  guilty  people?  Ah !  to  suffer  is 
dreadful,  but  to  suffer  guilty,  infinitely  guilty,  as  they  did, 
is  to  have  a  foretaste  of  the  terrors  of  the  reprobate  souls  of 
the  damned. 

When  I  think  of  the  moment  when  he  burst  out  into 
weeping,  his  eyes  uplifted,  suffused  with  tears,  tears  rolling 
down  his  countenance  unrestrained,  trickling  down  upon  his 
garments, —  when  I  read  his  words,  and  think  of  the  thrill 
of  his  faltering  voice,  of  the  workings  of  his  heart,  and  the 
heavings  of  his  breast, —  and  then  converge  all  the  other 
circumstances  to  one  point  to  form  a  perfect  image  of  that 
love,  and  then  to  draw  it, —  my  pen  drops  from  my  hand, 
I  dare  not  approach  the  task.  To  pull  off  my  shoes  on  this 
holy  ground  is  not  enough ;  I  want  to  be  meditating  with  my 
face  pressed  down  into  the  deepest  dust. 

He  wept  over  the  woes  of  a  single  city :  and  do  you  think 
that  he  never  wept  over  the  wroes  of  a  world  7  He  wept  in 
public,  where  he  would  certainly  restrain  his  feelings  as  much 
as   possible:  and   do  you  think  he  never  wept  in  secret? 


26  Christ's  entrance  into  Jerusalem. 

Could  we  lift  the  sacred  veil  of  his  solitary  hours ;  of  his 
seasons  of  retirement,  while  an  obscure  workman  of  Nazareth  ; 
of  his  forty  days  of  fasting  and  prayer  in  the  wilderness ;  of 
his  vigils  on  the  mountain  tops  and  in  the  deserts, —  what 
prayers,  what  intercessions,  what  tears,  what  tender  and 
heavenly  sympathies  with  the  sorrows  and  woes  of  humanity, 
would  come  to  light !  His  affections  were  not  limited  to 
Judea ;  he  did  not  love  those  merely  who  loved  him.  He 
wept  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus,  and  over  the  distress  of  Martha 
and  Mary ;  and  why  not  over  the  great  congregation  of  the 
dead  of  more  than  a  hundred  and  thirty  generations  past,  and 
over  all  the  broken  hearts  of  widows  and  starving  orphans 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world  ?  Why  not  over  the  distress 
of  all  the  sick,  the  delirium  of  the  deranged,  the  agonies  of  the 
dying?  Do  you  now  see  why  he  went  about  with  restless 
assiduity  to  console,  to  comfort,  to  bind  up  broken  hearts, 
raising  the  dead,  curing  and  cleansing  and  restoring  men  to 
the  enjoyment  of  health,  sight,  hearing  and  reason  ?  How 
could  he  do  otherwise,  with  a  heart  like  his  ?  He  would  have 
done  so,  though  no  man  had  believed  in  him  on  that  account, 
or  returned  to  him  a  grateful  word  or  look. 

But,  if  he  wept  over  the  miseries  of  Jerusalem,  much  more 
must  he  have  mourned  over  their  impenitence.  "  If  thou 
hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things 
which  belong  unto  thy  peace!  "  Indeed,  this  was  the  sole 
cause  of  their  ultimate  ruin.  He  says  expressly  that  all 
these  horrors  would  overtake  them,  "  because  thou  knewest 
not  the  time  of  thy  visitation."  The  measure  of  their  guilt 
was  fast  filling  up ;  the  disregarded  tears  and  entreaties  of 
Christ  sealed  their  doom  ;  and  from  the  time  of  his  death  to 
the  sacking  of  Jerusalem  and  the  dissolution  of  the  state,  they 
went  down  with  frightful   rapidity,  and  there  was  none  to 


CHRIST'S   ENTRANCE   INTO   JERUSALEM.  27 

deliver.  Like  a  rock  that  has  long  been  projecting  on  some 
lofty  mountain  top,  but  now  rolls  down  through  the  wild 
forest,  and  over  opposing  hills,  fences  and  dwellings,  every 
obstacle  adding  strength  to  its  restless  precipitation,  until  it 
has  reached  the  bottom  of  the  unvisited  gulf,  or  the  deep  sea 
below,  leaving  nothing  behind  save  the  forcible  illustration  of 
that  swift  destruction  which  overtakes  '  f  wickedness  in  high 
places." 

Have  you  never  seen  the  starving  wretch,  who,  with 
unusual  skill,  information  and  enterprise,  sails  through  seas, 
and  roams,  like  the  evil  spirit  in  Job,  up  and  down  in  the 
earth,  attempting  everything,  and  whose  whole  life  is  but  one 
unbroken  chain  of  failures,  until,  shivering  with  cold  and  half 
naked,  he  begs  at  the  door  of  the  ignorant  but  godly  farmer, 
whom  formerly  he  would  have  disdained  to  have  set  with  the 
dogs  of  his  flock?  Who  is  he?  "  Lo,  this  is  the  man," 
says  David,  "that  made  not  God  his  strength."  In  nine 
cases  out  of  ten,  a  secret  curse  will  be  found  cleaving  to  his 
fugitive  heels ;  the  tears  of  a  pious  mother,  or  a  deserted  godly 
wife,  are  burning  upon  his  soul ;  the  dying  groans  of  seduced, 
unwary  youths,  of  ruined  innocence,  and  the  sighs  and  sor- 
rows of  decrepit,  starving,  degraded  parents,  give  him  no  rest, 
—  the  curse  of  God  has  become  his  inseparable  shadow,  and 
the  very  atmosphere  in  which  he  lives  and  moves.  Every 
cheerful  sunbeam  seems  to  disclose  his  hidden  crimes,  every 
growling  thunder  to  utter  the  sentence  of  his  deeds  of  dark- 
ness. But,  with  all  this,  he  may  repent,  return  and  live,  if 
he  has  never  heard  the  voice  of  Christ, —  if  he  never  knew 
him ;  and  he  is  unspeakably  happier  than  that  undone,  forlorn 
soul,  who  neglected  the  day  of  heavenly  visitation,  upon 
whom  the  tears  of  a  despised  Saviour  rest  with  insufferable 
weight,    and   who,    reprobate,    and    given  over   like  Judas, 


28  CHRIST'S   ENTRANCE   INTO   JERUSALEM. 

"  chooses  strangling  rather  than  life,"  and  the  reality  of  eter- 
nal ruin  rather  than  its  dreadful  anticipation.  0  !  it  is 
terrible  to  fall  into  the  hand  of  the  living  God  !  Search  us, 
0  God,  and  know  our  hearts  ;  try  us,  and  know  our 
thoughts ;  and  see  if  there  be  any  evil  way  in  us ;  and  lead 
us  in  the  way  which  is  everlasting. 

"And  when  Jesus  was  come  into  Jerusalem,  all  the  city 
was  moved,  saying,  Who  is  this  ?  And  the  multitude  said. 
This  is  Jesus,  the  prophet  of  Nazareth  of  Galilee."  "  And 
Jesus  entered  into  the  temple ;  and  when  he  had  looked  round 
about  upon  all  things,  and  now  the  even-tide  was  come,  he 
went  out  unto  Bethany  with  the  twelve." 

Here  finishes  the  account  of  our  Lord's  entrance  into 
Jerusalem.  May  God  grant  his  blessing  upon  this  imperfect 
meditation,  and  may  Jesus  enter  into  the  heart  of  each  one 
of  us  !     Amen. 


II. 

«  FATHER,   GLORIFY  THY  NAME." 

And  there  were  certain  Greeks  amorg  them  that  came  up  to  worship  at 
the  feast.  The  same  came  therefore  to  Philip,  which  was  of  Bethsaida  of 
Galilee,  and  desired  him,  saying,  Sir,  we  would  see  Jesus.  Philip  cometh, 
and  telleth  Andrew  ;  and  again  Andrew  and  Philip  tell  Jesus.  And 
Jesus  answered  them,  saying,  The  hour  is  come,  that  the  Son  of  Man 
should  be  glorified.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  a  corn  of  wheat 
fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone  ;  but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth 
forth  much  fruit.  He  that  loveth  his  life  shall  lose  it,  and  he  that  hateth 
his  life  in  this  world  shall  keep  it  unto  life  eternal.  If  any  man  serve  me, 
let  him  follow  me  ;  and  where  I  am,  there  shall  also  my  servant  be  ;  if  any 
man  serve  me,  him  will  my  Father  honor.  Now  is  my  soul  troubled  ;  and 
what  shall  I  say  ?  Father,  save  me  from  this  hour  :  but  for  this  cause 
came  I  unto  this  hour.  Father,  glorify  thy  name.  Then  came  there  a 
voice  from  heaven,  saying,  I  have  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it 
again.  The  people  therefore  that  stood  by,  and  heard  it,  said  that  it 
thundered  :  others  said  an  angel  spake  to  him.  Jesus  answered,  and  said, 
This  voice  came  not  because  of  me,  but  for  your  sakes.  Now  is  the  judg- 
ment of  this  world  ;  now  shall  the  prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out.  And  I, 
if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me.  —  John  12  : 
20—32. 

The  fact  that  the  Evangelist  St.  John  introduced  the 
occurrence  related  in  our  text  immediately  after  the  entrance 
of  Christ  into  Jerusalem,  seems  to  indicate  that  it  happened 
very  soon  after  it, —  probably  the  day  following.  The  scene 
of  our  text  was,  in  my  opinion,  the  temple  itself,  where  our 
Lord  seems  to  have  spent  most  of  the  time  during  what  we 
3* 


30  FATHER,    GLORIFY   THY   NAME. 

should  call  Monday,  Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  of  the  last  week 
of  his  earthly  career.  According  to  St.  Luke,  "He  taught 
the  people  in  the  temple  and  preached  the  Gospel "  in  "  those 
days."  "  The  blind  and  the  lame  came  to  him  into  the 
temple  and  he  healed  them,"  says  Matthew  ;  and  "  the  Chief 
Priests  and  Scribes  saw  the  wonderful  things  that  he  did,  and 
the  children  crying  in  the  tempAe  and  saying,  Hosanna  to  the 
Son  of  David  !  "  A  very  considerable  number  of  parables, 
of  controversial  dialogues,  and  of  hortatory  addresses,  all 
delivered  in  the  temple,  fell  within  these  few  laborious  days 
of  our  Lord's  life ;  and  were  we  to  treat  upon  them  all  sepa- 
rately, our  series  of  discourses  would  necessarily  be  extended 
to  a  most  immoderate  length.  But,  having  purposed  to  con- 
fine ourselves  to  what  our  Lord  did  and  suffered  in  those 
days,  we  shall  not  be  chargeable  with  inconsistency,  if  we 
leave  the  explanation  and  application  of  what  he  said  to 
others,  or  defer  it  to  some  future  season. 

The  event  in  our  text  falls  properly  into  the  sphere  of  our 
meditations,  although  it  does  consist  in  a  great  degree  of  sen- 
timents uttered  by  our  Lord.  I  shall  bring  it  into  consider- 
ation as  an  event.  And  if  the  remarks  which  our  Saviour 
made  on  the  occasion  attract  our  devout  consideration,  it  will 
be  remembered  that  they  are  an  important  part  of  the  occur- 
rence itself,  and  unquestionably  of  the  most  unrivalled  beauty 
and  importance. 

I  shall  not,  as  I  am  in  the  habit  of  doing,  divide  the 
present  discourse  into  several  heads,  for  fear  the  spirituality 
of  my  text  might  suffer  through  the  confinement  of  rule  and 
form.  We  shall  pass  over  the  text  as  it  is,  and  stop  at  such 
places  as  afford  peculiar  scope  for  meditation. 

It  was,  then,  during  one  of  those  interesting  seasons  while 
Christ  was  teaching  the  people  in  the  temple,  and  preaching 


31 

the  Gospel,  the  people  listening  with  undivided  attention  to 
his  gracious  words,  the  High  Priests  and  Scribes  standing 
aloof,  pale  with  anxiety  and  indignation,  and  the  children 
singing  hosanna ;  it  was  during  one  of  those  few  unequalled 
days,  when  the  Saviour  stood  in  the  temple  amid  the  poor, 
the  blind,  the  deaf,  the  maimed,  the  halt,  and  the  wretched 
of  every  description,  healing,  comforting,  pouring  health  and 
life  and  joy  around,  though  his  own  heart  was  groaning 
secretly  with  gloomier  forebodings  than  man  can  conceive, —  it 
was  during  one  of  those  scenes  of  mingled  and  absorbing 
interest,  that  certain  Greeks,  among  them  that  came  up  to 
worship  at  the  feast,  "  came  to  Philip  which  was  of  Bethsaida 
of  Galilee,  and  desired  him,  saying,  Sir,  we  would  see  Jesus." 
They  accosted  Philip,  either  because  he  happened  to  be  most 
accessible  to  them  in  the  crowd,  or  most  likely  because,  he 
being  a  Galilean  Jew,  and  hence  conversant  with  Greeks,  and 
favorably  disposed  towards  them,  they  felt  more  confidence  in 
him,  if,  indeed,  they  were  not  previously  acquainted  with  him. 
They  address  this  common  Jew  respectfully, — "  Sir," — and 
express  their  modest  desire  to  "  see  Jesus "  with  truly 
beautiful  and  winning  simplicity. 

'•Sir,  we  would  see  Jesus." — How  delightful!  Should 
not  one's  heart  leap  with  joy  at  such  a  request?  What 
Christian  would  not,  in  the  midst  of  a  thousand  other  pressing 
engagements,  pay  at  once  the  most  cheerful  and  undivided 
attention  to  such  lovely,  interesting  inquiries?  "  Sir,  we 
would  see  Jesus." — Well  done!  The  most  blessed  desire 
that  ever  sprang  up  in  a  mortal's  breast.  0  !  if  we  could 
but  hear  this  question  addressed  to  us,  this  melancholy  place 
with  all  its  gathering  storms,  yea,  the  very  wilderness  of  eter- 
nal ice,  or  eternal  sand,  would  instantaneously  bud  and  blossom 
as  Carmel  and  as  Sharon.     You  would  see  Jesus  ?  —  Good  ! 


32 


You  shall  see  him  !  would  be  the  joyful  echo  of  our  hearts ; 
and  as  Philip  runs  forthwith  to  Andrew,  and  they  both  crowd 
their  way  further  on  to  Jesus,  to  tell  him  of  it,  when  he  was 
in  the  very  midst  of  preaching  and  healing,  so  would  we 
communicate  the  glad  tidings  to  each  other.  This  man,  that 
family,  would  see  Jesus, —  and  with  united  hearts  would  we 
bring  the  blessed  petition  to  the  throne  of  his  grace. 

But  ah  !  a  long  and  melancholy  sigh  heaves  my  bosom, 
and  I  cannot  help  it.  Where  are  those  inquirers  ?  where  are 
they  ?  Who  would  see  Jesus  ?  I  must  stop ;  for  if  I  pro- 
ceed my  remarks  must  instantly  become  personal.  We  turn 
to  our  Greeks. 

It  is  delightful  to  observe  the  anxiety  with  which  these 
strangers  endeavor  to  seize  the  fleeting  hour  of  peculiar 
religious  privilege,  and  the  modesty  with  which  they  request 
a  minute  of  interrupted  intercourse  with  the  despised  and 
humble  Jesus.  What  shame  and  guilt  does  not  their  con- 
duct reflect  upon  those  who  bear  the  honorable  name  of 
Christians,  and  who  might  enjoy  the  most  uninterrupted 
and  peculiar  familiarity  with  the  exalted  and  glorified 
Jesus,  but  who  neglect  nothing  so  much  and  so  gladly  as  to 
see  him  in  the  closet,  or  to  meet  him  and  his  people  in  the 
solemn  assembly  of  his  house  !  You  would  rather  not  see 
Jesus,  ye  despisers  of  his  love.  You  want  no  interview  .with 
him.  But,  depend  upon  it,  you  will  have  an  interview  with 
him  ere  long,  when  neither  business  nor  pleasure,  neither 
mountains  nor  rocks,  will  hide  you  from  his  heart-dissolving 
looks ;  when  neither  the  buzz  and  laughter  of  a  crazy  world, 
nor  the  sound  of  the  viol  and  the  timbrel  in  your  feasts,  will 
drown  the  thunder  of  his  voice.  Then  you  will  see  him, 
whether  you  "  would  "  or  not;  and  he  who  now  speaks  in  the 
harmonious  accents  of  dying  love  to  save  you  will  utter  the 


FATHER,    GLORIFY   THY   NAME.  33 

sentence  of  your  endless  ruin  in  peals  of  thunder  "which  will 
shake  the  frame- work  of  the  universe. 

According  to  the  best  critics,  these  Greeks  were  Greeks  by 
birth,  and  not  Hellenistic  Jews,  as  some  have  supposed.  They 
were  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel.  They  came 
from  far  to  worship  at  Jerusalem,  and  humbly  to  seek  the 
acquaintance  of  Christ,  while  High  Priest,  Pharisees,  Scribes, 
and  other  Jews  at  Jerusalem,  were  standing  coldly  and 
proudly  at  a  distance ;  yea,  while  they  were  in  the  very  act 
of  preparing  for  the  blackest  of  all  crimes  ever  committed 
under  the  sun;  and  while  Judas  was  standing,  perhaps, 
nearest  to  his  Lord,  with  the  very  scheme  of  hell  maturing  in 
his  breast. 

External  religious  privileges  are  an  earnest,  either  of 
uncommon  glory  and  exaltation  in  heaven,  or  of  uncommon 
condemnation  and  suffering  in  hell.  Abraham  saw  the  day 
of  Christ,  and  rejoiced ;  and  he  rejoices  now,  and  his  joy  will 
never  cease.  Balaam  saw  the  day  of  Christ,  and  with  an 
aggravated  condemnation  he  went  to  receive  the  reward  of 
iniquity.  The  higher  the  station,  the  deeper  the  fall.  Man 
fell  —  into  the  slough  of  sin;  Lucifer  fell  —  into  the  "bot- 
tomless pit."  John,  Peter,  Nicodemus,  Nathaniel,  and  others 
saw  Christ, —  and  Annas  saw  him  too,  and  Caiaphas,  and 
Herod,  and  Pilate,  and  Judas;  but  the  doom  of  the  latter 
ones  was  enhanced  by  the  privilege  they  had  enjoyed  more 
than  human  calculation  can  express.  And  what  was  true 
then  is  true  still.  Trust  brings  with  it  responsibility,  and 
when  betrayed  it  brings  guilt;  and  many  a  savage,  who 
knows  no  more  of  Christ  than  what  he  may  have  retained 
from  a  single  sermon  of  some  passing  missionary,  may  get  a 
place  in  the  "temple  not  made  with  hands,"  while  thousands 
from  the  very  heart  of  Christendom,  with  their  heads  full  of 


34 


earth-born  wisdom,  and  their  hearts  full  of  folly,  with  their 
neglected  Bibles  in  their  left  and  with  "a  lie"  in  their 
"  right  hand,"  will  go  down  to  the  mansions  of  ever-growmg 
wickedness  and  pain,  whither  Hope  and  Mercy  never  descend, 
and  where  pale  Despair  and  raging  Madness  have  fixed  for- 
ever their  red-hot  thrones. 

The  modesty  and  anxiety  of  our  inquiring  Greeks  would, 
under  any  other  circumstances,  have  been  the  most  favorable 
introduction  to  our  Lord.  But  now  it  was  too  late, —  for 
private  interviews,  at  least,  too  late.  That  our  Lord  did  not 
admit  these  Greeks,  I  infer  from  the  circumstance  that  no 
mention  is  made  of  their  introduction  to  him,  and  chiefly  from 
verse  27,  which  contains  such  sentiments  as  he  would  hardly 
have  addressed  to  strangers.  Moreover,  the  whole  strain  of 
his  remarks  was  too  highly  spiritual  to  suit  the  comprehen- 
sion of  the  most  sincere  beginners  in  religion ;  and  such,  no 
doubt,  our  strangers  were. 

The  time  of  familiar  intercourse  was  fast  passing  away  with 
our  Lord ;  the  work  of  his  ministry  was  hastening  to  its  close, 
to  give  room  to  his  still  higher  office  of  mediation  between 
God  and  man,  through  the  sacrifice  of  himself  in  behalf  of  a 
fallen  world. 

As  Philip  and  Andrew,  therefore,  bring  the  request  of  our 
strangers  before  Jesus,  they  receive  substantially  the  follow- 
ing reply, — indirect,  indeed,  but  equally  profound  and  compre- 
hensive in  point  of  import.  I  cannot  see  these  dear  men,  for 
"the  hour  is  come  that  the  Son  of  Man  should  be  glorified." 
My  hardest  and  noblest  work  now  begins, —  that  of  redeeming 
love.  I,  who  in  the  beginning  spake,  and  it  was ;  at  the 
breath  of  whose  mouth  worlds,  immense  and  countless  to 
human  sense  and  reason,  started  on  their  enormous  revolu- 
tions with  a  rapidity  which  derides  every  stretch  of  thought ; 


35 


around  the  lowest  steps  of  whose  throne  stars  and  suns  floated 
like  the  small  "  dust  of  the  balance  ;  "  for  the  performance  of 
whose  sovereign  pleasure  the  whole  multitude  of  angels,  pow- 
ers, principalities  and  dominions,  stood  in  humble  readiness, 
each  with  holy  emulation  craving  the  privilege  of  my  lowest 
service ;  I  now  shall  serve,  suffer  and  die,  freely,  compelled 
by  nothing  save  my  own  choice,  my  own  love  for  sinners. 
As  in  power,  wisdom  and  justice,  so  in  love  I  must,  I  will 
be  first  in  heaven  and  on  earth.  I,  clothed  in  human  flesh, 
shall  suffer  the  punishment  due  to  a  rebellious  world.  The 
Son  of  Man,  the  Son  of  God,  will  be  glorified.  He  will  be 
glorified  in  his  sufferings  and  in  his  death,  which  will  show 
his  love  supreme,  will  force  the  last  intrenchment  of  Satan, 
and  create,  not  a  material  and  finite  world  from  nothing, 
but  a  spiritual  and  everlasting  creation  from  far  less 
than  nothing, —  from  an  enormous  minus  quantity  of  sin  and 
corruption.  The  Son  of  Man  shall  be  glorified  after  his 
death,  when  he  shall  resume,  dressed  in  human  nature,  his 
omnipotence,  and  rule  as  Creator,  Preserver  and  Redeemer. 

"  The  hour  is  come  that  the  Son  of  Man  should  be  glori- 
fied "  in  the  same  mysterious  way  of  previous  death,  in  which 
all  sublunary  things  pass  on  to  life  and  being.  Here  there 
is  no  light  without  shade,  no  victory  without  conflict,  no  rest 
without  labor,  no  satisfaction  without  want,  no  life  without 
death.  When  the  proud  rejoicing  lion  is  torn  to  pieces  and 
rotten,  then  meat  comes  forth  from  the  eater,  and  sweetness 
from  the  strong.  "  Except  a  corn  of  wheat  fall  into  the 
ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone ;  but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth 
forth  much  fruit ;  "  and  when  the  flesh  of  the  just  is  moulder- 
ing in  the  cold  grave,  then  his  redeemed  and  sanctified  soul, 
like  the  pure  white  lily  from  the  moor,  rises  to  bloom  forever 

the  paradise  of  God.     Let,  therefore,  these  men  mark  the 


36 


following  great  truth,  and  it  will  be  better  for  them  than  all 
the  interviews  which  I  would  give  them  at  present.  ' '  He 
that  loveth  his  life  shall  lose  it :  and  he  that  hateth  his  life 
shall  keep  it."  "And  if  (they  or)  any  (other)  man  will 
serve  me,  let  him  (and  them)  follow  me."  Then  they  will 
have  an  interview  with  me,  though  it  be  not  now ;  for  "  where 
I  am,  there  shall  also  my  servant  be.  If  any  man  will  serve 
me,  him  will  my  Father  honor." 

"  0,  the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge of  God  !  How  unsearchable  are  his  judgments,  and  his 
ways  past  finding  out !  "  0,  the  folly  and  madness  of  the 
world,  who  hunt  after  greatness,  preferment,  wealth  and 
pleasure,  in  the  sweat  of  their  brow,  and  to  the  unavoidable 
ruin  of  their  souls  !  If  the  words  of  Christ  be  true,  if  the 
death  of  our  own  lusts  and  desires  is  the  way  to  life,  then 
they  hunt  for  death,  they  hunt  for  eternal  shame,  poverty, 
and  pain. 

Thus  far  the  reply  of  Christ  to  the  Greeks  of  our  text ; 
and  what  important  practical  lesson  it  did  contain  for  the  rest 
of  the  people  about  him  then,  and  still  does  contain  to  all  of 
us  now,  is  too  plain  to  need  any  further  explanation. 

Another  scene  opens.  —  Christ  had  no  sooner  given  his 
answer,  than  he  feels  his  mind  drawn  to  the  contemplation  of 
his  own  future  sufferings;  and,  being  accustomed  to  follow 
those  inward  hints  which  he  knew  to  be  from  above,  he  does 
not  suppress  his  rising  emotions.  The  Father  had  decreed  to 
give  one  more  audible  testimony  to  his  beloved  Son,  and  for 
this  the  way  was  now  preparing.  It  may  be  his  eye  lighted 
upon  Judas,  or  upon  the  Priests,  Pharisees  and  Scribes,  in 
their  corner,  and  an  association  of  ideas  brought  instantly 
before  him  the  gathering  storm  of  his  approaching  passion ; 
or,  the  admiring,  rejoicing  multitude,  and  the  children  singing 


FATHER,    GLORIFY   THY   NAME.  37 

hosanna,  reminded  him,  by  way  of  contrast,  of  the  contempt 
and  hateful  spite  which  would  but  too  soon  be  poured  upon- 
him,  and  of  the  dreadful  lt  Crucify  !  Crucify  him  !  "  which, 
shouted  by  a  ruthless  mob,  would  stun  his  hearing ;  —  and 
fear  and  misgiving,  natural  to  most  untarnished  humanity, 
fill  his  bosom.  His  feelings  demand  utterance,  and  he  can- 
not and  will  not  hide  them.  "  Now  is  my  soul  troubled. " 
The  devout  attention  of  this  multitude,  the  songs  of  these  in- 
nocent lambs  of  my  dear  flock,  and  the  modest  and  interesting 
request  of  those  godly  strangers,  are  gratifying  to  me ;  but, 
0  !  I  look  but  a  step  before  me,  and  darkness  darker  than 
Egyptian  night  covers  my  path,  «and  my  very  soul  melts  with 
fear.  0,  that  that  dreadful  hour  were  past !  But,  what 
shall  I  say  ?  Shall  I  plead  exemption  from  it  ?  Shall  I 
wish  to  enjoy  even  the  most  lawful  comfort,  when,  by  deny- 
ing it,  the  conquest  over  the  prince  of  this  world  may  be 
completed,  the  glory  of  my  Father  in  heaven  promoted,  and 
this  perishing  world  saved  ?  Are  not  these  very  sufferings 
the  great  object  of  my  coming  in  the  flesh?  Yes  !  "  For 
this  cause  came  I  unto  this  hour."  Then,  let  it  come  upon 
me ;  and  let  all  my  desires  and  wishes,  however  lawful  and 
proper, —  let  all  my  own  interests  (for  evsn  pure  human 
nature  has  some),  let  all  my  thoughts  and  feelings,  be  lost 
in  the  all-absorbing  petition,  "  Father,  glorify  thy  name  !  " 

Thus  Christ.  —  Ye,  who  have  a  sense  for  things  heavenly 
and  divine,  behold  and  admire  the  working  of  a  holy  mind. 
Behold  the  logic  of  Heaven,  and  the  most  unexampled  illus- 
tration of  the  moral  sentiment  which  will  never  be  sufficiently 
admired, —  "It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive." 
Shall  we  again  consult  our  own  interests  ?  Can  we,  while 
this  model  of  all  perfection  is  before  us  on  the  pages  of  sacred 
history  ?  We  should  be  anything  but  Christians,  if  we  could. 
4 


38 


But  we  cannot — we  will  not.  In  all  our  ways  and  works 
we  will  confer,  not  with  flesh  and  blood,  but  with  the  spirit 
of  holiness  and  of  love  only.  In  the  eyes  of  the  world  we 
may  appear  as  losing  our  lives, —  but  we  shall  find  them 
again  unto  life  eternal. 

The  great  object  of  our  Lord's  coming  was  the  expiatory 
sacrifice  necessary  for  the  redemption  of  sinners.  "  For  this 
cause  came  I  unto  this  hour."  By  this  the  separating  wall 
between  God  and  the  sinner  is  done  away,  and  every  believ- 
er's eternal  interests  secured.  He  who  has  begun  the  work 
of  our  redemption  for  us  will  complete  it  also  in  us ;  and  the 
only  and  all-absorbing  task  of  our  lives  is  the  delightful  one 
of  doing  his  will,  and  glorifying  his  name,  out  of  gratitude  for 
our  soul's  salvation.  Doing  this,  we  shall  act  in  the  spirit 
and  from  the  principle  of  Jesus,  in  the  elevated  occurrence  of 
our  text.  And  for  this  cause  he  has  acted  as  it  were  pub- 
licly, that  we  may  behold  him  and  admire  and  imitate  his 
example.  This  is  directly  enjoined  upon  us  by  his  apostles. 
u  Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus; 
who,  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be 
equal  with  God :  but  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took 
upon  himself  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  like- 
ness of  men,  and,  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  hum- 
bled himself  and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death 
of  the  cross."  "  We  have  the  mind  of  Christ,"  exclaims  the 
same  apostle.  Every  man  whose  ruling  affections,  whose 
prayers  and  actions,  do  not  close  in  with  the  great  petition  of 
Christ,  "Father,  glorify  thy  name!"  is  no  Christian;  and 
his  hope  will  prove  a  spider's  web  in  the  day  when  God  shall 
take  away  his  soul.  This  is  the  great  dividing  line  between 
converted  and  unconverted  men.  No  man  can  seek  two 
things  supremely.     He  that  seeks  himself  supremely  is  an 


39 


unconverted  man.  and  he  that  seeks  the  glory  of  God  su- 
premely is  a  converted  man.  It  is  clearer  than  noon-day : 
who  can  deny  it  ? 

"Then  came  there  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  I  have 
both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again.  The  people  there- 
fore that  stood  by  and  heard  it  said  that  it  thundered ;  others 
said  an  angel  spake  to  him.  Jesus  answered  and  said,  This 
voice  came  not  because  of  me,  but  for  your  sakes." 

Nothing  can  be  more  insipid  than  the  idle  conjecture  of 
some,  that  the  voice  spoken  of  in  our  text  was  thunder,  which 
John,  taking  it  for  a  sign  of  God's  complacency  with  the 
petition  of  our  Lord,  interpreted  as  meaning,  "I  have  both 
glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again."  A  refutation  in  form 
would  be  too  gratuitous  to  be  attempted  here.  I  merely  ask, 
Did  God  never  manifest  himself  in  a  sensible  manner  ?  Shall 
we  mock  the  very  pages  of  the  soberest  history,  not  to  say  of 
Holy  Writ  ?  Was  there  a  thunder-storm  at  the  baptism  of 
Christ,  when  a  voice  was  heard  down  from  heaven,  saying, 
"  This  is  my  beloved  Son"?  Then  the  Holy  Spirit,  coming 
down  visibly  and  remaining  on  Christ,  was  a  flash  of  light- 
ning,—  was  it  ?  Was  there  a  thunder-storm  on  Mount  Tabor, 
when  Christ  had  that  memorable  and  protracted  interview  with 
Moses  and  Elijah,  when  his  own  garments  and  countenance 
were  transformed,  and  shining,  and  when  the  testimony  "This 
is  my  beloved  Son"  was  repeated?  Was  there  a  thunder- 
storm in  that  bush  on  Mount  Horeb,  which  Moses  saw  burn- 
ing, yet  unconsumed, —  from  which  he  heard  words,  to  which 
words  he  replied,  received  back  again  answers,  commands, 
promises,  reproofs,  and  long  enough  to  fill  up  the  whole  third 
and  half  of  the  fourth  chapter  of  Exodus?  Was  there  a 
thunder-storm  on  Sinai,  when,  under  the  most  magnificent  and 
terrific  display  of  the  divine  presence,  several  millions  of  men, 


40 


women  and  children,  most  of  them  not  favorably  disposed, 
heard  with  their  own  ears  the  ten  commandments,  word  after 
word,  pouring  down  over  the  barren  rocks  like  an  ocean  of 
sound,  and  rolling  in  towering  billows  over  the  lonely  desert, 
with  majestic  and  fearful  reverberation,  until  their  very  souls 
were  melted  and  their  strength  exhausted,  and  they  compelled 
to  exclaim,  "  Let  us  not  hear  again  the  voice  of  Jehovah  our 
God,  neither  let  us  see  this  great  fire  any  more,  that  we  die 
not "  ?  Was  there  a  thunder-storm  in  the  tabernacle  at 
Shiloh,  when  God  called  four  times,  "  Samuel,  Samuel,"  and 
after  the  fourth  time,  when  Samuel  answered,  "  Speak,  Lord, 
for  thy  servant  heareth,"  communicated  to  him  minutely  the 
long  train  of  punishments  which  were  to  overtake  the  house 
of  Eli?  Believe  these  idle  conjectures  who  can.  We  find 
it  both  easier  and  more  reasonable  to  believe  the  unexception- 
able testimony  of  Scripture.  If  the  doubts  of  "  unreasonable 
and  wicked  men"  must  have  such  power  of  demonstration 
with  some  unsound  or  unfair  minds,  we  deplore  their  condi- 
tion, and  prefer  to  believe  "  the  witness  of  God."  But 
there  appear  to  be  men  who  are  really  reprobate  to  the  faith, 
and  who  cannot  believe  though  one  should  rise  from  the  dead ; 
and  upon  whom  nothing  short  of  the  unquenchable  fire  will 
fasten  conviction.  So  some  of  the  people  in  our  text  say  it 
thundered, —  it  is  no  matter ;  this  is  nothing  supernatural  or 
particular ;  there  may  be  a  thunder-storm  somewhere  in  the 
atmosphere.  Others,  more  candid,  said,  "  An  angel  spake  to 
him." 

Permit  me  a  few  remarks  on  the  general  subject  of  God's 
revelations  to  mankind.  If  it  is  of  any  consequence  for  man 
to  know  God,  it  may  be  expected  of  God,  as  of  a  benevolent 
and  omnipotent  Being,  that  he  would  leave  nothing  untried  to 
make  himself  known  to  him,  and  that  he  would  pour  in  light 


FATHER,   GLORIFY    THY    NAME.  41 

unto  men's  minds  by  every  door  and  window,  cleft  and  open- 
ing, all  over  the  frame  of  their  sensitive,  intellectual  and 
moral  nature, —  only,  of  course,  so  as  not  to  destroy  their 
moral  free  agency.  And  so  he  has  done.  God  has  mani- 
fested himself  to  the  moral  nature  of  man  by  an  uncontrol- 
lable conscience,  which  warns,  rebukes,  chastises,  threatens 
with  a  future  everlasting  and  righteous  retribution;  and 
sometimes,  if  not  listened  to  and  obeyed,  drives  men  to  de- 
spair,—  thus  commencing  retribution  already  here.  God  has 
manifested  himself  to  the  intellectual  nature  of  man,  by 
impressing  upon  their  minds  the  consciousness  of  his  own 
existence  in  such  a  manner  that,  while  they  can  find  no  syl- 
logism to  demonstrate  it,  they  are  equally  unable  to  deny  it, 
or  to  rid  themselves  of  it  in  any  way,  and  that,  after  ten 
thousand  efforts  of  the  first  intellects,  on  either  side  of  the 
question,  they  are  compelled  to  lay  down  their  offensive  and 
defensive  weapons  at  the  steps  of  his  sovereign  throne,  and 
to  confess  the  idea  of  God  is  a  first  and  universal  truth, 
which  needs  no  proof,  and  fears  no  refutation.  But  most 
men  listen  neither  to  conscience  nor  to  reason.  It  was, 
therefore,  necessary  that  God  should  manifest  himself  to  their 
senses  also.  This  he  did,  first,  in  the  wonderful  works  of 
nature — in  their  magnitude,  the  regularity  of  their  laws, 
their  adaptation  to  innumerable  reasonable  and  benevolent 
ends,  and  their  constant  preservation ;  and,  secondly,  in  order 
to  leave  nothing  untried  which  could  be  done  without  wholly 
abolishing  the  dispensation  of  faith,  or  destroying  man's  free 
agency,  he  manifested  himself  to  their  senses  by  occasional 
extraordinary  occurrences  in  nature,  or  in  the  history  of 
mankind, —  occurrences  not  capable  of  being  traced  back  to 
the  ordinary  laws  of  nature,  or  the  common  concatenation  of 
events.  And  these  extraordinary  exhibitions  of  his  existence 
4* 


42  FATHER,  GLOFIFY   THY  NAME. 

and  power  he  showed  forth  in  every  part  of  creation,  to  im- 
press us  with  the  great  truth  that  he  is,  and  that  he  is  Lord  of 
all.  If  any  one  will  take  the  trouble  to  collect  and  to  class 
the  miraculous  displays  of  God's  power  during  the  times  of  the 
old  and  the  new  dispensation,  all  of  which  are  well  attested, 
he  will  obtain  an  imposing  picture  of  miracles,  extending  to 
every  part  of  creation,  and  the  symmetry  and  rationality  of 
which  at  once  demonstrate  the  identity  and  the  wisdom  of  the 
Author.  Through  thousands  of  years  there  comes  down  a 
chain  of  supernatural  effects,  wrought  in  the  clear  noon-day 
light,  before  friends  and  foes,  and  which  exhibit  themselves  in 
rocks,  in  metals,  in  the  earth,  the  water,  the  atmosphere ;  in 
fire,  in  plants,  fishes,  reptiles,  birds,  four-footed  beasts;  in 
men,  in  their  bor  ies  and  their  minds ;  in  the  luminaries  of 
heaven ;  and  wh*  Ji  addressed  themselves  to  the  taste,  smell, 
touch,  sight  and  rearing,  of  all  under  whose  observation  they 
fell ;  and  are  now  handed  down  to  us,  and  will  be  handed 
down  to  the  end  of  time,  with  such  clear  and  strong  evidence 
as  would  give  them  before  any  equitable  bar  of  justice  all  the 
power  of  regular,  unexceptionable  and  conclusive  testimony ; 
so  that,  if  a  man  resists  now,  he  must  not  only  disregard  the 
voice  of  conscience  and  the  light  of  reason,  but  also,  in  real- 
ity, his  five  senses ;  that  is,  he  must  resist  all  the  evidence 
which  can  be  given  him,  from  the  very  nature  of  his  own 
constitution,  and  he  must  bid  defiance  to  God  in  heaven  to 
convince  him  by  anything  short  of  the  irresistible  arm  of  his 
omnipotence. 

Yet  this  is  no  uncommon  thing.  Some  of  the  people  in 
our  text  say,  "It  thundered;  "  and  the  far  greater  part  of 
Christendom,  in  reading  in  the  books  of  nature,  of  history,  of 
providence,  and  in  the  Bible,  of  the  mercies  and  judgments 
of  God,  give  themselves  no  more  concern  about  them  than 


FATHER,  GLORIFY  THY  NAME.  43 

they  would  about  the  dying  sound  of  some  distant  summer 
cloud.  The  harmony  of  creation  and  its  countless  blessings, 
the  most  destructive  revolutions  of  nature,  the  overturning 
of  kingdoms,  the  deliverance  of  countries,  islands  and  nations, 
from  the  thraldom  of  heathenism,  and  their  conversion  to  the 
Christian  faith,  individual  conversions,  and  judgments  in 
their  own  immediate  vicinity,  all  leave  the  stupid  infidelity 
of  carnal  men  alike  untouched.  Unbelief  cannot  receive 
instruction,  but  only  punishment.  They  hear  neither  Moses 
nor  the  prophets,  neither  Christ  nor  the  apostles,  neither  con- 
science nor  reason,  nor  the  five  senses,  nor  the  voice  of  his- 
tory,—  nor  would  they  believe  if  one  of  the  dead  should  rise, 
nor  would  they  if  the  very  gates  of  eternity  should  be  thrown 
open,  and  the  boundless  region  of  spirit  pour  upon  their 
senses  the  whole  mass  of  its  unnumbered  population.  But  it 
will  not  be  so  always.  When  they  shall  be  with  the  ' '  rich 
man"  in  the  flames,  and  lift  up  their  eyes,  "  being  in  tor- 
ment," they  will  believe. 

Christ  enters  into  no  dispute  with  the  Jews;  but,  after 
assuring  them  that  this  voice  was  nevertheless  come  for  their 
sakes,  that  they  might  believe,  he  goes  on  to  say,  "Now  is 
the  judgment  of  this  world,  now  shall  the  prince  of  this  world 
be  cast  out.  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will 
draw  all  men  unto  me." 

Who  "  the  prince  of  this  world  "  is,  may  easily  be  gathered 
from  John  14 :  3,  and  16 :  11 ;  2  Cor.  4 :  4 ;  and  Eph.  6  :  12, 
;c.  It  is  Satan,  beyond  reasonable  dispute.  About  the 
leaning  of  his  being  "cast  out"  some  latitude  of  opinion 
must  be  granted,  as  we  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  its  pre- 
cise import.  My  conviction  is,  that  it  has  reference  to  some 
signal  overturn  of  Satan's  power,  occasioned  by  the  atoning 
sacrifice  of  Jesus   Christ,    by  which   fallen   humanity  was 


44  FATHER,  GLORIFY   THY   NAME. 

brought  nearer  to  God,  and  in  some  serious  respects  brought 
into  comparative  liberty  from  the  influence  and  power  of  the 
evil  one.  I  will  not  insist  upon  the  somewhat  doubtful  sub- 
ject of  heathen  oracles, —  the  utter  silence  of  some,  and  the 
rapid  decline  of  all,  soon  after  the  crucifixion  of  Christ.  The 
fact  is  asserted  by  many  church-fathers  :  Lucan,  a  heathen 
writer,  laments  the  silence  of  the  Delphic  oracle, —  the  most 
famous,  perhaps, —  no  more  than  thirty  years  after  the  death 
of  our  Lord ;  and  Plutarch  wrote  a  whole  book  on  the  sub- 
ject of  dumb  oracles,  in  which  book  he  endeavors  not  to 
refute,  but  merely  to  account  for,  the  cessation  of  oracular 
responses,  and  this  by  theories  which  do  little  honor  to  his 
penetration.  Now,  if  Satan  is  engaged  in  ruining  the  souls 
of  men,  as  the  Bible  unquestionably  asserts,  who  can  doubt 
that  he  had  a  hand  in  that  great  engine  of  deception,  not  only 
by  natural,  but  also  by  supernatural  means  1  And  if  the 
cessation  of  a  machine,  at  a  time  when  it  was  most  needed  to 
keep  up  idolatry,  cannot  well  be  accounted  for  from  facts 
and  circumstances  known,  it  certainly  becomes  considerably 
probable  that  the  curtailing  of  Satan's  power  may  have  been 
its  chief  cause. 

Very  consonant  with  this  would  be  another  fact,  upon 
which  I  should  insist  much  *nore.  I  mean  the  cessation  of 
demoniacal  possessions  after  the  death  of  Christ,  which,  at  the 
time  of  his  coming  and  before,  were  so  numerous,  and  against 
the  reality  of  which  no  valid  argument  has  yet  been  ad- 
vanced. Matthew  speaks  of  the  resurrection  of  many 
"  saints  which  slept,!'  who  came  out  of  their  graves  after  the 
death  of  Christ,  and  went  into  the  holy  city,  and  appeared 
unto  many ;  and  Peter  twice  intimates  (1  Peter  3 :  19,  20, 
and  4:6)  that  something  took  place  then  in  the  region  of 
the  dead,  t  not  unlike  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  here, 


45 


&r  ttling  the  eternal  destinies  of  some  souls,  whose  doom  could 
*ot  be  fixed  before  that  great  period.  All  this  leads  to  the 
supposition  that  a  mighty  revolution  was  produced  by  the 
Saviour's  death  in  the  world  of  spirits*,  Satan  in  a  sense 
judged,  and  his  power  broken. 

Unto  us,  however,  it  suffices  to  know,  for  the  understand- 
ing of  this  passage,  that  by  the  cross  of  Christ  the  empire  of 
Satan  was  overturned  and  will  be  overturning  till  He  whose 
right  it  is  shall  rule  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun.  To 
us  it  suffices  to  know,  that  although  the  Gospel  did  not  and 
does  not  enjoin  the  use  of  any  carnal  weapons, —  although 
the  systems  of  idolatry  were,  at  the  time  of  Christ  and  after- 
wards, guarded  by  the  power  and  influence  of  emperors, 
kings  and  princes,  —  although  its  foul  deformities  were 
already  then  carefully  covered  by  philosophers  and  hierarchs 
with  the  saintly  veil  of  allegories  and  spiritualizing  com- 
ments,—  although  its  more  intelligent  votaries,  feeling  them- 
selves rather  unsafe  in  the  decaying  outworks  of  coarse  poly- 
theism, had  made  a  dexterous  retreat  into  the  inner  intrench- 
ments  of  esoteric  philosophies, —  although  every  imaginable 
spring  and  wheel  was  put  into  requisition  to  keep  up  the 
cause  and  kingdom  of  Satan, —  yet  the  simple  story  of  the 
cross  did  overturn  the  whole  stupendous  fabric  from  the  bot- 
tom, and  made  havoc  of  the  arch-fiend's  combined  forces, 
both  in  the  political  and  the  literary  world,  until,  in  all 
places  to  which  its  voice  extended,  every  idol  was  prostrated, 
and  every  strong-hold  forced  and  razed  to  the  ground. 
Heathen  Rome,  with  its  countless  temples,  fell,  and  great 
was  the  fall  of  it.  Touched  by  the  stone  cut  out  without 
hands,  the  precipitation  of  its  ruin"  was  majestic  and  tremen- 
dous. Down  it  came,  like  a  mountain  of  dust  before  the 
hurricane.     Whilst  its  civil  patrons  gnashed  their  teeth,  and 


46  FATHER,  GLORIFY   THY   NAME. 

its  apologists  affected  to  smile  at  the  tale  of  the  Gospel  which 
they  could  not  refute,  the  chariot-wheels  of  the  King  of 
kings  drove  over  their  necks  and  put  them  to  everlasting 
silence.  And,  ever  since,  the  assaults  of  the  adversaries  to 
pull  down  the  pretended  Jewish  superstition  of  this  doctrine 
have  rebounded  upon  them  with  double  fury,  while  the  cross 
of  Christ  has  ever  come  forth  from  the  contest  like  the  sun 
from  behind  the  impure  smoke  of  angry  volcanoes,  and  re- 
mains ever  fresh  in  loveliness  and  strength,  the  wisdom  of 
God  and  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  unto  every  one 
that  believeth. 

"And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all 
men  unto  me."  As  in  general,  so  in  particular,  the  doc- 
trine of  the  cross  is  the  most  formidable  weapon  which  can 
be  used  against  the  empire  of  darkness ;  for,  in  its  nobler 
contest  with  the  conscience  and  the  sensibilities  of  man,  it 
levels  at  the  rebellious  heart  the  most  overcoming  appeals 
which  exist  in  the  whole  storehouse  of  moral  suasion.  There 
is  a  class  of  men  possessed  of  independent  minds,  who  have 
actually  intrepidity  enough  to  brave  eternal  retributions,  and 
to  bear  up  under  the  most  terrific  denunciations  of  the  broken 
law  of  God.  How  their  temper  will  hold  out  after  death, — 
this  is  another  question;  but  here  it  often  does  hold  out. 
This  is  a  trait  of  character  by  no  means  laudable, —  for  it  is 
not  courage,  but  madness ;  it  is  not  manly  independence,  but 
rebellion  against  God.  But  still,  it  involves  a  degree  of 
vigor  and  firmness,  which,  if  they  were  better  employed, 
would  reflect  much  honor  upon  the  character  of  their  pos- 
sessor, and  tend  to  make  him  eminently  useful.  Now,  if 
there  be  yet  left  in  the  heart  of  such  a  man  a  spark  of  sensi- 
bility, and  if  the  Gospel  be  preached  to  him  in  all  its  free- 
ness,  the  cross  in  all  its  beauty,  and  the  love  of  Christ  in 


FATHER,  GLORIFY   THY   NAME. 


47 


all  its  power,  you  may  depend  upon  it  he  is  overcome. 
Ashamed  of  himself,  he  will  submit ;  he  cannot,  he  would  not, 
be  so  base,  so  ungrateful,  as  to  spurn  a  love,  an  affection,  a 
sacrifice,  so  free,  so  generous,  so  overcoming.  He  is  a  Chris- 
tian from  that  moment,  and  will  henceforward  employ  all  his 
powers  to  stem  the  flood  of  wickedness  which  rolls  over  this 
earth,  and  use  all  the  firmness  and  independence  of  his  now 
sanctified  character  to  exhibit  before  the  world  the  example 
of  a  consistent  and  devout  follower  of  Jesus  Christ. 

And  now,  beloved,  is  there  one  here  to-day  who  ' c  would 
see  Jesus  "  ?  But  why  one  only?  Would  we  not  all  rather 
see  him,  dearly  beloved?  0  that  every  heart  might  now 
respond  to  my  question,  /would  see  Jesus, —  /would, —  I 
must  see  Him  !  To  all  such  I  should  answer,  to  all  such  I 
do  answer  back  again,  "  We  know  that  when  he  shall  appear 
we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."     Amen. 


V* 


III. 

THE  GREAT  PASSOVER. 

Then  assembled  together  the  Chief  Priests,  and  the  Scribes,  and  the 
Elders  of  the  people,  unto  the  palace  of  the  High  Priest,  who  was  called 
Caiaphas,  and  consulted  that  they  might  take  Jesus  by  subtilty  and  kill 
him.  But  they  said,  Not  on  the  feast-day,  left  there  be  an  uproar  among 
the  people. 

Then  one  of  the  twelve,  called  Judas  Iscariot,  went  unto  the  Chief  Priests, 
and  said  unto  them,  What  will  ye  give  me.  and  I  will  deliver  him  unto 
you  ?  And  they  covenanted  with  him  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  And 
from  that  time  he  sought  opportunity  to  betray  him.  Now,  the  first  day  of 
the  feast  of  unleavened-bread,  the  disciples  came  to  Jesus,  saying  unto 
him,  Where  wilt  thou  that  we  prepare  for  thee  to  eat  the  passover  ?  And  he 
said,  Go  into  the  city  to  such  a  man,  and  say  unto  him,  The  Master  saith, 
My  time  is  at  hand  ;  I  will  keep  the  passover  at  thy  house  with  my  disci- 
ples. And  the  disciples  did  as  Jesus  had  appointed  them  ;  and  they  made 
ready  the  passover.  Now,  when  the  even  was  come,  he  sat  down  with  the 
twelve.  And  as  they  did  eat,  he  said,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  one  of 
you  shall  betray  me.  And  they  were  exceeding  sorrowful,  and  began  every 
one  of  them  to  say  unto  him,  Lord,  is  it  I  ?  And  he  answered  and  said, 
He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in  the  dish,  the  same  shall  betray  me. 
The  Son  of  Man  goeth,  as  it  is  written  of  him  ;  but  woe  unto  that  man  by 
whom  the  Son  of  Man  is  betrayed  !  it  had  been  good  for  that  man  if  he  had 
not  been  born.  Then  Judas,  which  betrayed  him,  answered  and  said, 
Master,  is  it  I  ?     He  said  unto  him,  Thou  hast  said. 

And  as  they  were  eating,  Jesus  took  bread,  and  blessed  it,  and  brake  it, 
and  gave  it  to  the  disciples,  and  said,  Take,  eat  ;  this  is  my  body.  And 
he  took  the  cup,  and  gave  thanks,  and  gave  it  to  them,  saying,  Drink  ye 
all  of  it  ;  for  thi3  is  my  blood  of  the  New  Testament,  which  is  shed  for 
many  for  the  remission  of  sins.     But  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  not  drink 


THE    GREAT   PASSOVER.  49 

henceforth  of  this  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that  day  when  I  drink  it  new 
with  you  in  my  Father's  kingdom.  And  when  they  had  sung  an  hymn, 
they  went  out  into  the  Mount  of  Olives.  —  Matthew  2G  :  3 — 5  ;  14 — 30. 
Compare  Makk  14  :  1,  2—10—26  ;  Luke  22  :  1—30  ;  John  13. 

You  are  aware  I  have  omitted  large  portions  of  Scripture 
between  our  last  text  and  the  one  of  to-day,  because  they 
contained  chiefly  parables,  &c.  I  shall  endeavor  to  present 
to  you  a  connected  view  of  the  scene  now  before  us,  which  I 
think  will  of  itself  occupy  all  the  time  which  can  be  allotted 
to  this  part  of  our  worship.  Being  thus  obliged  to  sacrifice 
that  part  of  the  sermon  which  is  usually  occupied  by  practical 
remarks,  may  it  be  given  to  each  one  of  us,  as  we  go  along, 
to  receive  such  impressions,  and  to  gather  such  profit  and 
enjoyment,  as  will  meet  our  several  spiritual  necessities,  and 
render  this  a  blessed  and  comfortable  season  to  our  souls ! 

We  commence  with  the  entrance  of  Christ  into  Jerusalem. 
This  was  the  history  of  Wednesday.  The  purification  of 
the  temple  and  the  history  of  the  barren  fig-tree,  together 
with  a  few  parables  and  a  number  of  occurrences,  such  as  the 
healing  of  the  sick,  the  hosannas  of  the  children  in  the  tem- 
ple, the  questions  of  the  Herodians  concerning  the  tribute  of 
Caesar,  the  controversy  of  the  Pharisees  about  our  Lord's 
authority  in  matters  of  worship  and  temple  regulations,  and 
the  one  of  the  Sadducees  respecting  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  etc.,  all  of  which  we  passed  by  because  the  historical 
elements  in  them  are  characteristic  rather  of  our  Lord's  entire 
ministry  than  of  his  last  days  in  particular, —  these  and  like 
details,  we  observe,  form  the  history  of  Monday  and  Tuesday. 
Wednesday  came,  and  Christ,  according  to  his  custom,  visited 
again  the  temple,  passing  from  Bethany,  his  secret  abode, 
over  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  through  the  valley  of  the  brook 

If  Cedron,  to  the  holy  city.     Wednesday  was  a  memorable 
5 


50  THE   GREAT  PASSOVER. 

day.  He  finds,  as  usual,  the  Pharisees  and  Scribes  crowd- 
ing the  temple  gates.  Already  the  eternal  condemnation 
of  most  of  them,  if  not  of  all,  had  been  sealed,  and  their 
hearts  and  minds  left  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  the  unre- 
strained influences  of  the  powers  of  darkness.  Hence  the 
fearful  progress  of  their  rage  and  revenge  against  God  and 
his  Anointed,  and  the  acceleration  of  their  doom.  Forbear- 
ance was  at  an  end.  Christ,  the  Searcher  of  hearts,  well 
discerned  their  case,  and  with  unexampled  severity  bursts 
forth  upon  these  reprobated  men  in  that  awful  discourse 
which  you  find  in  the  23d  chapter  of  Matthew.  In  this 
heart-searching,  overwhelming  address,  which  rolls  along  like 
liquid  fire,  and  which  in  point  of  power  and  unmingled  terror 
has  not  its  equal,  he  lays  open  their  most  secret  crimes, 
announces  to  them  and  their  guilty  nation  the  woes  and 
miseries  which  had  now  become  in  the  records  of  heaven 
their  irrevocable  and  melancholy  doom,  and  gives  them  thus 
a  foretaste  of  judgment  to  come.  This  sermon  closes  his 
public  ministry  ;  it  is  the  last  he  ever  delivered.  He  began 
his  ministry  by  speaking  as  never  man  spake ;  he  closed  it  by 
speaking  as  man  never  will,  never  may  speak,  again. 

He  passes  out  from  the  temple,  none  daring  to  put  his 
hand  upon  him.  His  disciples  follow  him  in  consternation  of 
mind.  His  voice,  ringing  down  through  the  high  porches  of 
the  temple, —  "0,  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest 
the  prophets,  and  stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee, 
etc."  —  "  Behold,  your  house  shall  be  left  unto  you  desolate  !  " 
—  this  terrible  voice  —  for  it  had  never  sounded  so  before  — 
kept  ringing  in  their  ears,  and  melting  their  hearts.  This 
"house,"  this  great  temple, —  is  it  really  to  be  destroyed? 
Impossible !  Insupportable  thought !  ah,  they  cannot  bear, 
they  cannot  believe  it.     Christ,  whose  notice  their  thoughts 


THE   GREAT   PASSOVER.  51 

and  feelings  could  not  escape,  as  he  passes  through  the  court, 
turns  towards  them,  and,  as  they  gather  about  him,  and 
endeavor  to  lead  his  mind  to  a  consideration  of  the  vastness 
and  magnificence  of  the  temple  edifice,  if,  peradventure,  that 
might  move  him  to  recall  the  sentence  of  destruction  which  he 
had  just  pronounced  upon  it,  he  repeats  and  confirms  it  still, 
and  with  that  asseveration  which  cut  off  every  ray  of  hope  (Matt. 
24  :  1,  2).  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  there  shall  not  be  left 
here  one  stone  upon  another  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down." 
The  minds  of  the  disciples  must  necessarily  have  been 
deeply  impressed  with  this  absorbing  subject.  Now  they 
could  no  longer  doubt  but  that  city  and  temple  would  one 
day  experience  an  utter  desolation.  There  was,  however,  no 
opportunity  in  the  crowded  temple  courts  to  propose  to  their 
master  any  questions  on  the  subject ;  and  they  follow  him  in 
silence,  as  he  passes  along  out  of  the  temple-gate,  down 
*  the  valley,  and  over  the  bridge  of  the  Cedron,  towards  Beth- 
any. This  wTas  his  last  return  to  that  retired,  humble  spot, 
which  had  been,  perhaps,  his  most  endearing  earthly  home,  and 
where,  in  all  the  region  of  Jerusalem,  he  had  found  the  most 
faithful  hearts,  and  the  safest  retreat  from  the  cunning  wiles 
of  wicked  men.  As  he  mounted  the  western  ascent  of  Mount 
Olivet,  he  sat  down  once  more  to  look  back  upon  the  city  of 
David,  and  the  temple  of  Jehovah,  and  the  land  of  prophets 
and  patriarchs.  Their  glory  was  now  departed ;  and  church 
and  state  and  land  lay  prostrate,  like  the  lifeless  corpse  of  a 
giant,  to  moulder  away  in  quick  and  eternal  dissolution. 

The  disciples  now  seized  the  favorable  opportunity  to  pro- 
pose their  questions  on  the  subject  of  Jerusalem's  destruction, 
upon  doing  which  they  seem  to  have  agreed  by  the  way. 
Probably,  owing  to  the  literal  construction  of  Is.  2,  and 
Micah  4,  or  some  other  similar  passage,  they  had  cherished 


52  THE   GREAT   PASSOVER. 

the  pleasing  hope,  that  city  and  temple  would  stand,  at  least, 
until  the  judgment  day,  and  the  end  of  the  present  dispensa- 
tion of  nature.  The  coming  of  Christ  to  judgment  and  the 
close  of  his  dispensation  were  thus  naturally  and  necessarily 
identified  in  their  minds  with  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and 
the  temple.  And  as  "they  had  reason  to  believe  that  these  great 
events  would  be  preceded  by  some  special  external  signs,  they 
draw  near  to  Christ,  and  propose  to  him  the  following  three- 
fold question  :  "  Tell  us,  when  shall  these  things  be," — that 
is,  when  shall  city  and  temple  be  overthrown ;  —  when  shall  be 
"  thy  coming  and  the  end  of  the  world ;  —  and  what  shall  be 
the  sign  of  all  this."  Matt.  25:  3.  To  this  three-fold 
question  Christ  answers  in  the  24th  and  25th  chapters  of  St. 
Matthew,  by  giving  them  a  joint  picture  of  both  events,  and 
their  respective  signs,  leaving  it  to  the  different  periods  of 
fulfilment  to  separate  and  explain  the  different  and  mingled 
parts  of  the  grand  sketch.  How  well  their  seemingly  con- 
fused presentation,  which  has  to  this  very  day  eluded  the 
scrutiny  of  unpractical  speculation, —  how  well  it  was  calcu- 
lated for  practical  purposes,  the  history  of  Jerusalem's 
destruction  itself  shows,  by  informing  us  how  a  few  hints 
contained  in  the  24th  chapter  of  Matthew  proved  the  salva- 
tion of  the  whole  Christian  church  at  Jerusalem.  About  an 
hour  ago,  Christ  had  closed  his  office  as  a  preacher  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven ;  now  he  closes  his  prophetic  office,  and 
then  proceeds  to  Bethany,  to  refresh  his  heart  once  more  with 
his  pious  friends  there,  and  to  take  his  last  night's  rest  upon 
earth.  Those  who  pretend  that  Christ  was,  during  this  week, 
invited  to  two  suppers  at  Bethany,  and  that  he  was  twice 
anointed,  etc.,  assign  this  evening  to  the  supper  in  Simon's 
house.  But  it  is  easy  to  see  how  inconvenient  for  such  a 
purpose  this  evening  would  have  been  to  Simon,  when  the 


THE   GREAT   PASSOVER.  53 

festival  was  at  hand ;  how  likely  he  would  have  been  to  defer 
his  invitation  till  at  least  Easter-day's  evening;  and  espe- 
cially how  little  disposed  Christ  would  have  been  to  spend 
his  last  evening  at  Bethany  in  public.  They  moreover  split 
up  the  discourses  of  Christ  contained  in  chapter  14 — 17  of 
St.  John,  assigning  the  14th  chapter  to  this  evening,  and  the 
rest  to  the  evening  of  the  Passover  at  Jerusalem, —  a  separa- 
tion which  is  intolerably  hard  and  forced.  I  am  satisfied 
Christ  spent  the  remainder  of  Wednesday  at  home  in  Laz- 
arus' house ;  and  if  the  apostles  had  been  permitted  to  write 
down  what  they  pleased,  we  should  really  have  reason  to 
complain  of  them,  that  they,  and  especially  John,  did  not 
preserve  the  conversation  of  this  interesting  season. 

Proceeding  to  the  history  of  Thursday,  we  shall  endeavor 
to  harmonize  the  four  Evangelists  in  reference  to  its  various 
events. 

First,  let  us  briefly  consider  the  plain,  connected  history 
of  the  exit  of  Israel  from  Egypt,  and  of  the  institution  of 
the  Passover  and  the  festival  of  unleavened  bread.  This  is 
not  only  the  best  but  the  only  key  to  the  language  of  the 
Evangelists  on  the  subject  of  our  Meditation,  and  it  will 
make  plain  and  easy  what  has  occasioned  so  much  confusion 
and  dispute  among  the  very  best  commentators  on  our  present 
text. 

The  time  of  Israel's  deliverance  drew  near.  One  more 
miracle,  one  more  calamity,  was  to  sweep  over  the  enemies 
of  the  Lord,  and  that  the  most  terrible  of  all ;  and  Pharaoh 
and  Egypt  were  to  lie  prostrate  with  awe  and  fear,  and  the 
bands  of  the  Lord's  people  were  to  be  broken.  In  the  night 
of  the  14th  day  of  the  month  called  Abib,  or  Nisan,  and 
which,  ever  since,  has  remained  the  first  month  of  the  eccle- 
siastical year  of  the  Israelites,  Jehovah  was  to  pass  through  the 
5* 


54  THE   GREAT   PASSOVER. 

land  of  Egypt,  and  to  smite  all  the  first-born  in  the  land,  both 
man  and  beast.  According  to  the  opinion  of  some,  this  was 
the  night  between  the  13th  and  the  14th  day  of  the  month, 
that  being  the  night  belonging  properly  to  the  14th  day,  as  the 
days  commenced  with  sunset,  not  at  midnight  nor  at  sunrise. 
But  it  is  a  fact  well  ascertained,  that  in  matters  both  of  pri- 
vate and  public  worship  the  evening  was  reckoned  as  belong- 
ing to  the  day  previous,  as  it  is  with  us  now ;  and  that  the 
evening  services,  or  sacrifices,  were  regarded  as  'forming  a 
part,  not  of  the  duties  of  the  coming  day,  but  as  completing 
those  of  the  closing  one.  The  nature  of  the  case  would  seem 
to  lead  to  such  a  view  and  usage.  In  accordance  with  this 
view  runs  the  account  of  the  exit  of  Israel  from  Egypt.  On 
the  10th  day,  that  is,  the  day  following  the  10th  night  of  the 
month,  a  lamb  for  the  Passover  was  to  be  procured,  and  kept 
till  the  14th  day  corresponding.  On  that  day,  between  the 
evenings  separating  that  day  from  the  15th  day  of  the  month, 
the  Paschal  lamb  was  to  be  killed,  roasted  with  fire,  and  eaten 
with  bitter  herbs  and  unleavened  bread.  The  blood  of  this 
lamb  was  to  be  put  upon  the  door-posts,  to  distinguish  the 
houses  of  the  Lord's  people  from  those  of  his  enemies ;  and 
that  was  the  night  in  which  the  Lord  passed  through  Egypt, 
and  smote  the  first-born.  During  that  night  and  the  follow- 
ing morning,  the  Israelites  were  driven  out  from  Egypt. 
Ever  afterwards,  the  Passover  seems  to  have  been  celebrated 
at  the  time  here  specified,  and  the  tradition  of  the  Jews,  which 
is  ancient  enough  to  be  admitted  as  representing  the  prac- 
tices of  the  Passover  just  as  they  were  in  universal  observ- 
ance at  the  time  of  Christ, —  that  tradition  orders  that  the 
houses  of  the  Israelites  should  be  searched  and  carefully 
purified  from  all  leaven  or  fermenting  substances  on  the  14th 
day  of  the  month,  beginning  the  search  at  the  dawn  of  the 


THE    GREAT   PASSOVER.  55 

day,  or,  as  they  now  explain  it  already,  during  the  night  pre- 
vious, and  by  candle-light,  and  finishing  at  noon  on  the  14th 
day.  Till  then  leavened  bread  could  be  eaten ;  the  Paschal 
lamb  was  not  yet  killed.  But  from  mid-day  and  onward  no 
leaven  was  used;  between  the  evenings, —  that  is,  probably  from 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  to  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
—  the  Passover  was  eaten,  the  killing  of  the  lambs  beginning 
probably  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Thus  it  came  to 
pass,  naturally,  that  the  14th  day  was,  in  common  intercourse, 
called  the  Passover  day, —  the  day  when  they  kill  the  Pass- 
over, or  when  the  Passover  must  be  killed,  although  that  day 
was  a  common  day  until  near  its  close,  when  the  Paschal 
solemnities  had  actually  commenced ;  and  even  then,  it  seems, 
needful  purchases  could  be  made,  and  alms  distributed,  till  the 
beginning  of  the  15th  day, —  that  is,  till  sunset  of  the  14th. 
Then  all  servile  work  was  prohibited,  as  on  the  Sabbath. 
The  15th  day  was  a  sacred  day,  and  the  proper  day  of  the 
Passover  and  of  unleavened  bread,  which  bread  was  the  only 
one  permitted  through  seven  days,  till  the  close  of  the  21st 
day.  Both  the  15th  and  the  21st  days  were  sacredly 
observed  by  an  holy  convocation,  while  sacrifices  continued  to 
be  offered  through  the  entire  seven  days. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass,"  says  Matthew,  chap.  26:  1,  2, 
"  when  Jesus  had  delivered  all  these  sayings," — that  is,  those 
contained  in  the  chapters  24  and  25, —  "he  said  unto  his 
disciples,  Ye  know  that  after  two  days  is  the  feast  of  Pass- 
over, and  the  Son  of  Man  is  betrayed  to  be  crucified." 
These  words  our  Lord  uttered  probably  on  Wednesday  eve- 
ning. "  Then,"  Matthew  continues,  "  assembled  the  Chief 
Priests  and  the  Scribes  and  the  Elders  of  the  people  unto  the 
palace  of  the  High  Priest,  who  was  called  Caiaphas,  and  con- 
sulted, that  they  might  take  Jesus  by  subtilty  and  kill  him ; 


56  THE   GREAT  PASSOVER. 

but  they  said,  not  on  the  feast-day,  lest  there  should  be  an 
uproar  among  the  people."  Only  four  days  before,  Judas 
Iscariot,  being  offended  by  the  reproof  which  Christ  adminis- 
tered to  him  in  defence  of  Mary,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  who 
anointed  his  feet  as  he  sat  at  meat  in  the  house  of  Simon 
the  leper,  paid  a  secret  visit  to  these  dignitaries,  and  offered 
to  betray  Christ  for  money.  If  the  minds  of  the  Sanhedrim 
were  then  not  yet  fully  made  up,  or  if  there  was  any  cause 
of  hesitancy  existing  with  some  of  them  on  the  subject, 
our  Saviour's  thundering  farewell  address  on  Wednesday 
afternoon  removed  all  irresolution,  and  united  the  whole 
Sanhedrim  in  the  desperate  resolve  that  he  must  perish,  by 
whatever  means  his  ruin  might  be  accomplished.  It  was 
plain  to  them  that  such  a  despiser  of  their  ecclesiastical 
authority  could  not  be  permitted  to  live.  This  was  a  holy 
work,  sanctifying  every  means  and  befitting  any  time  and 
place,  however  sacred,  which  its  execution  might  claim. 
Hence  their  only  concern,  in  resolving  to  bring  him  to  his 
death  on  the  great  Passover  day,  is  lest  the  people,  favoring 
him,  might  rise  in  his  defence.  It  is,  however,  a  mistake  to 
suppose  that  the  Jews  held  no  court  of  justice  on  the  Sab- 
bath. They  did  so ;  and  the  locality  for  the  transactions  on 
the  Sabbath  was  larger  than  the  ordinary  one.  So  far,  there- 
fore, no  sacrifice  of  principle  or  feeling  was  necessary  in  wKat 
the  Sanhedrim  here  resolved  upon  and  afterwards  executed ; 
although,  if  there  had  been  a  difficulty  in  passing  judgment 
on  so  sacred  a  day,  or  in  executing  a  supposed  criminal,  the 
work  of  exterminating  heresy  would  have  been  considered 
holy  and  good.  Thus,  even  now,  the  Easter  season,  both 
among  the  Jews  and  the  native  Christians  in  the  East,  is 
peculiarly  devoted  to  the  sacred  work  of  heresy-hunting  and 


THE   GREAT   PASSOVER.  57 

persecution,  as  a  means  of  purifying   the   church,  and  of 
atoning  for  their  past  sins. 

It  was,  therefore,  on  the  evening  between  the  14th  and 
the  15th  day  of  Nisan  that  our  Saviour  and  his  disciples 
celebrated  the  Passover,  and  that  in  common  with  all  other 
Israelites.  When  John,  introducing  us  to  the  last  Passover 
of  Christ,  says,  "  Now,  before  the  feast  of  the  Passover,"  &c, 
he  refers  to  the  consciousness  which  Christ  had  of  his  divine 
dignity  while  entering  upon  the  most  trying  scenes  of  his 
life,  and  also  the  touching  example  which  he  gave  of  his 
humility  in  washing  the  feet  of  the  disciples.  This  act  cer- 
tainly was  performed  before  the  solemnities  of  the  Passover 
began. 

Christ  died  on  the  great  feast  of  Passover,  or  of  unleavened 
bread.  Here,  however,  the  question  arises,  if  he  died  on 
that  great  day,  how  is  it  that  all  the  four  Evangelists  call  it 
"the  preparation'"?  If  it  was  the  great  festival  day,  how 
could  it  at  the  same  time  be  the  preparation  ?  The  reply  is 
simple.  The  term  translated  "preparation"  means  simply 
Friday,  as  it  does  to  this  day  in  the  living  language  of  the 
Greeks ;  and  it  received  that  name,  being  regularly  the  pre- 
paration for  the  common  Sabbath.  It  is  also  called  the  fore- 
Sabbath,  or  "the  day  before  the  Sabbath  "  (Mark  15  :  42), 
which  clearly  indicates  the  meaning  of  the  word.  Some 
think  the  Jews  could  not  have  eaten  already  the  Paschal  lamb 
when  Christ  was  crucified,  because  John  tells  us  (chap.  18 : 
28)  that  they  would  not  go  into  the  judgment  hall,  "  lest  they 
should  be  defiled,  but  that  they  might  eat  the  Passover" 
But  the  term  Passover,  while  on  the  14th  day  it  designated, 
by  way  of  eminence,  the  Paschal  lamb,  included  all  the 
other  sacrifices  and  peace-offerings  through  the  seven  days  of 


58  THE   GREAT   PASSOVER. 

the  feast,  and  naturally  always  designated  that  sacrificial 
feast  which  the  Passover  days  afforded  severally. 

The  question  of  the  disciples,  where  the  Passover  was  to 
be  prepared,  was  probably  asked  in  good  season  during  the 
forenoon,  in  order  to  give  some  time  to  the  landlord  who  was 
to  prepare  the  repast.  The  reply  of  Christ  was  more  partic- 
ularly directed  to  Peter  and  John,  as  Luke  informs  us ;  and 
the  whole  of  the  charge  given  to  them,  and  variously  related 
by  the  Evangelists,  would  be  as  follows :  "  Go  into  the  city, 
and  when  ye  shall  have  entered  it,  there  shall  a  man  meet 
you,  bearing  a  pitcher  of  water ;  follow  him  into  the  house 
where  he  entereth  in,  and  say  unto  the  good  man  of  the  house, 
The  Master  saith,  My  time  is  at  hand, —  I  will  keep  the 
Passover  at  thy  house  with  my  disciples  ;  where  is  the  cham- 
ber where  I  shall  keep  it  1  and  he  will  show  you  a  large 
upper  room  furnished:  there  make  ready." 

The  opinion  that  Christ  had  beforehand  spoken  to  the  man 
in  whose  house  he  intended  to  keep  the  Passover,  and  that  on 
that  account  he  could  so  exactly  foretell  that  a  servant  with 
a  pitcher  of  water  would  await  the  disciples  when  they  should 
enter  the  city,  and  that  an  upper  room  furnished  would  be 
shown  to  them,  though  it  is  held  by  neither  few  nor  insignifi- 
cant men,  I  deem  so  utterly  and  glaringly  inconsistent  with 
the  dignity  of  Christ  and  the  solemnity  of  his  situation  at  this 
period,  that  I  shall  content  myself  with  having  barely  noticed 
it.  I  deem  the  indication  of  these  circumstances  to  be  one 
exhibition  more  of  that  knowledge  of  Christ  which  he  pos- 
sessed as  a  property  belonging  to  his  divine  nature, —  omnis- 
cience,—  which  he  does  not  indeed  seem  to  have  exercised  at 
all  times,  but  rather  denied,  but  which  was  always  at  his 
command,  and  used  by  him  on  every  proper  occasion.  The 
familiar  and  indefinite  language  which  Christ  puts  into  the 


THE    GREAT    PASSOVER.  59 

mouth  of  John  and  Peter,  seems  to  imply  that  the  landlord 
was  acquainted  with  Christ,  and  perhaps  a  secret  believer  in 
him. 

There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  our  Lord  left  at  all  his 
peaceful  retreat  during  Thursday,  until  it  was  time  to  go  to 
the  place  where  his  last  repast  was  prepared.  Judas  Iscariot, 
driven  away  from  Christ  and  the  pious  circle  around  him  by 
the  rebukes  of  a  guilty  conscience,  found  pretexts  enough,  no 
doubt,  to  absent  himself  during  the  course  of  that  memorable 
day,  and  wandered  about,  like  an  evil  spirit,  seeking  rest  and 
finding  none ;  and  thus  Christ  was  probably  all  the  day  alone 
with  his  dear  disciples,  and  with  Lazarus  and  Martha  and 
Mary,  and  perhaps  one  or  two  pious  friends  more.  And  it  is 
delightful  and  soul-refreshing  to  think  that  at  least  one  drop 
of  heavenly  comfort  was  mingled  with  the  bitter  cup  of  his 
approaching  sufferings.  In  what  holy  conversation,  mingled 
here  and  there  with  a  psalm  and  with  fervent  prayer,  the  day 
was  spent ;  what  artless  tokens  of  pious  affection  and  tender 
regard  were  given  and  received ;  how  the  bond  of  perfectness 
must  have  bound  faster  and  tighter  heart  to  heart,  and  the 
fire  of  love  and  godliness  in  each  believer  gathered  strength, 
brightness  and  warmth,  from  mingling  with  all  the  rest  close 
around  the  fountain-head  of  life  and  light, —  it  is  easier  to 
conceive  than  to  describe.  0  !  if  Christians  could  do  away 
the  idle  talk  out  of  their  mouth,  and  remember  that  their 
whole  life  is  but  one  continued  parting  scene  ;  that  they  are 
all  the  time  parting  with  men  and  things,  with  duties  and 
enjoyments,  with  youth  and  health  and  strength,  with  hours, 
days  and  years,  to  see  them  no  more  till  the  day  of  account 
and  retribution, —  0  !  what  solemnity,  what  sacred  awe,  what 
holy  caution,  what  heavenly  wisdom,  would  overflow  and 
sanctify  all  their  words,  and  looks,  and  deeds !     How  would 


60  THE   GREAT   PASSOVER. 

the  laughter  of  folly  die,  and  the  idle  tale  grow  insipid,  and 
worldly  schemes  fade,  and  the  dread  of  eternity  take  wings 
and  fly  away,  and  the  unction  from  the  Holy  One  descend, 
and  the  peace  of  God  and  the  foretaste  of  heaven  fill  their 
hearts  and  their  dwellings  !  Ah  !  our  guilt  is  our  immeasur- 
able loss !  0,  that  my  head  were  waters,  and  mine  eyes 
fountains  of  tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and  night  over  my 
years  wasted  and  lost,  over  more  than  half  a  life  spent  but 
too  much  like  the  silly  and  useless  tale  of  a  fool !  May  the 
Lord  have  mercy,  and  forgive  and  heal  me  and  all  his  people 
from  that  abominable  thoughtlessness  which  so  much  spoils 
our  conversation,  and  so  deeply  wounds  the  heart  and  the 
cause  of  our  Lord  ! 

The  time  to  depart  draws  near,  and  our  Lord  makes  ready 
with  his  disciples.  None  but  himself  knew  that  this  was  to 
be  his  last  farewell  from  Lazarus,  Mary  and  Martha,  from 
his  seat  at  their  table,  from  the  bowers  or  closet  of  his  retire- 
ment for  meditation  and  secret  prayer,  from  the  corner  where 
his  humble  couch  used  to  be  spread  out  at  night.  He  had 
long  before  left  and  denied  greater  things  than  these  for  us ; 
but  a  tender  heart  never  gets  used  to  parting,  or  hardened 
against  the  melting  sorrows  of  separation  from  those  we  love. 
A  tear  may  well  have  started  in  his  eye,  as  he  blessed  them, 
and,  thanking  them  for  their  love  and  all  their  kind  services, 
commended  them  to  his  Father  in  heaven,  as  the  rewarder  of 
every  work  of  faith  and  love.  And  many  an  aspiration  may 
have  gone  up  to  heaven  in  their  behalf,  as  they  passed  along 
the  solitary  way  to  the  city. 

In  due  season  he  arrived  at  the  appointed  place ;  the  table 
is  spread ;  the  Paschal  lamb,  the  other  refreshments  (John 
13  :  1),  and  the  cup  of  blessing,  are  served  up;  and  Jesus, 
knowing  "that  his  hour  was  come  that  he  should  depart  out 


THE   GREAT   PASSOVER.  61 

of  this  world  unto  the  Father ;  having  loved  his  own  which 
were  in  the  world,  he  loved  them  unto  the  end"  (Luke  22: 
15,  16).  "And  he  said  unto  them,  With  desire  have  I 
desired  to  eat  this  Passover  with  you  before  I  suffer ;  for  I 
say  unto  you,  I  will  not  any  more  eat  thereof,  until  it  be  ful- 
filled in  the  kingdom  of  God."  Thus  the  most  solemn  of  all 
subjects  was  almost  introduced,  and  our  Lord  ready  to  pro- 
ceed in  remarks  which  would  have  opened  another  world  to 
them,  when,  even  at  this  time,  his  never-failing  charity  and 
forbearance  were  put  to  the  trial  by  a  most  unhappy  inter- 
ruption (verse  24).  "  And  there  was  also  a  strife  among 
them,"  says  Luke,  "which  of  them  should  be  accounted  the 
greatest." 

They  had  repeatedly  been  reproved  for  their  undue  aspira- 
tion after  greatness.  But,  ah  !  pride  sits  deep  in  the  human 
breast.  The  opinion  is  advanced  by  some,  that  the  contention 
of  the  apostles  arose  in  connection  with  the  preliminary  cus- 
tom of  having  the  feet  of  the  guests  washed,  which  none  of 
the  disciples  wished  to  do  to  the  others,  and  which,  at  last, 
was  done  by  Christ  himself.  This  is  possible,  perhaps  even 
probable.  However,  let  us  be  as  charitable  as  we  can,  being 
encompassed  ourselves  with  like  infirmities.  Indeed,  I  do  not 
think  that  the  ideas  of  the  disciples  respecting  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  were  quite  as  gross  and  secular  as  some  suppose 
them  to  have  been ;  and  aspiring  to  eminence  in  that  king- 
dom which  they  supposed  Christ  would  rear  may  very  proba- 
bly have  been  something  very  different  from  the  coarse  ambi- 
tion of  wholly  worldly-minded  men.  Moreover,  to  be  great  in 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  would  bring  a  man  into  nearer  relation 
to,  and  intercourse  with,  Christ  himself;  and,  besides,  in  this 
instance,  the  "strife"  was  perhaps  occasioned  by  the  ques- 
tions, who  should  already  now  sit  nearest  to  Christ,  who  on 
6 


62  THE   GREAT   PASSOVER. 

his  right,  who  on  his  left,  and  who  opposite  to  him.  How 
much  such  considerations  affect  and  alter  the  nature  of  the 
case  it  is  easy  to  see ;  and  we  would  almost  forgive  them, 
even  if  they  had  striven  quite  earnestly.  Had  we  ourselves 
been  there,  I  do  not  know  what  we  should  have  done ;  and 
in  a  certain  sense  we  all  aspire,  and  ought  to  aspire,  to  as 
high  a  place  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ  as  we  may.  But  the 
apostles  ought  to  have  remembered,  and  so  ought  we,  that  in 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  laws  and  principles  govern  which 
are  diametrically  opposite  to  the  maxims  of  the  world.  There 
a  man  becomes  great  by  becoming  small ;  the  greatest  saint 
there  is  the  most  helpless  sinner ;  all  reign  by  serving,  and 
every  one  is  the  least ;  —  and  hence  true  and  thorough  self- 
humiliation  is  the  only  wing  which  will  bear  a  sinner  up  to 
the  right  hand  of  the  King  of  kings.  In  heaven  competition 
works  the  contrary  way  (that  is,  downward),  and  the  strife 
of  self-denying,  self-forgetting  love  is  the  only  one  known 
among  the  true  children  of  light  in  either  world,  that  above 
and  that  here  below.  The  disciples  were  still  both  wrong 
and  unwise,-  therefore,  to  strive  for  preeminence,  though 
their  strife  may  not  have  been  one  for  carnal  preeminence ; 
and  they  needed  to  be  reproved  and  corrected ;  and  Christ,  in 
his  untiring  forbearance,  proceeds  to  the  correction  without 
delay.  And  the  manner  in  which  he  corrects  their  fault  is 
perfumed  with  the  very  frankincense  of  heaven,  and  an  eter- 
nal monument  of  divine  love. 

tl  And  the  supper  having  commenced  (jov  dslnvov  yevotui- 
vov,  for  so  I  must  translate,  and  not  like  our  English  version, 
which  renders  it  "the  supper  being  ended"),  the  devil  having 
already  (not  now)  put  into  the  heart  of  Judas  Iscariot, 
Simon's  son,  to  betray  him,  Jesus,  "when  he  noticed  the 
contention  of  the  disciples,  although  he  knew  that  the  Father 


THE   GREAT   PASSOVER.  63 

had  given  all  things  into  his  hands,  and  that  he  was  come 
from  God,  and  went  to  God," — although  he  was  conscious 
of  his  supreme  dignity  and  his  divine  nature, —  "he  riseth 
from  supper,  and  laid  aside  his  (upper)  garments,  and  took  a 
towel  and  girded  himself;  after  that,  he  poureth  water  into  a 
hasin,  and  began  to  wash  the  disciples'  feet,  and  to  wipe  them 
with  the  towel  wherewith  he  was  girded."  In  reality,  the  sup- 
per had  not  yet  begun  to  be  partaken  of.  It  was  commenced 
only  so  far  as  Christ  and  most  of  the  disciples  were  already 
seated.  It  began  when  the  disciples'  feet  were  washed  by 
Christ.  He  acted  the  part  of  a  servant,  and  that  of  the 
lowest  servant  that  was  at  all  permitted  to  enter  the  apart- 
ment. How  soon  the  strife  for  preeminence  must  have 
ceased,  you  may  imagine !  "  Then  cometh  he  to  Simon 
Peter ;  and  Peter  saith  unto  him,  Lord,  dost  thou  wash  my 
feet  ?  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  What  I  do  thou 
knowest  not  now,  but  thou  shalt  know  hereafter.  Peter  saith 
unto  him,  Thou  shalt  never  wash  my  feet.  Jesus  answered 
him,  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou  hast  no  part  in  me," — thus 
seizing  upon  Peter's  own  terms,  he  says,  You  need  not  refuse 
this  service  from  me,  for  you  must,  after  all,  receive  it  in  a 
still  higher  sense,  if  you  want  to  be  my  true  disciples. 
"  Simon  Peter,"  in  the  ardor  of  his  feeling  ever  flying  from 
extreme  to  extreme,  "saith  unto  him,  Lord,  not  my  feet 
only,  but  also  my  hands  and  my  head  ;" — another  specimen 
of  honest  but  ill-directed  effort  to  become  eminent  in  the  fam- 
ily of  Christ  by  aspiration  ;  he  wanted  to  be  more  washed 
than  the  rest.  But  Christ,  tempering  his  untimely  zeal,  and 
returning  to  the  literal  sense  of  language,  replies,  "  He  that 
is  washed  needeth  not  save  to  wash  his  feet, —  then  he  is 
clean  every  whit;  "  that  is,  he  that  has  washed  his  hands, 
and  perhaps  his  face  too,  on  entering  the  guest-chamber  (and 


64  THE   GREAT   PASSOVER. 

you  have  done  so),  needeth  not  to  wash  these  again;  but.  if 
he  wishes  to  be  particularly  clean  and  comfortable  at  the 
repast,  he  may  get  his  feet  washed,  and  then  he  is  sufficiently 
clean  for  the  occasion,  be  it  ever  so  splendid  or  solemn. 
Then,  again  returning  to  the  spiritual  meaning  of  his  terms, 
he  says,  hinting  at  Judas'  case,  who  had  joined  them  by  this 
time,  "Ye  are  clean,  but  not  all."  Then  he  puts  on  his 
dress  again,  and  returns  to  his  seat  at  the  table ;  which  shows 
once  more  that  the  supper  was  not  finished,  but  begun 
merely.  The  application  of  this  example  of  humility,  which 
Christ  made  after  having  resumed  his  place,  you  all  well 
know.  I  do  not  therefore  rehearse  it.  This  application  was 
made  to  the  case  in  hand ;  but  it  was  recorded  also  for  the 
purpose  of  universal  imitation  throughout  the  church.  But 
it  is  a  hard  lesson.  How  many  a  Pope,  Patriarch,  Cardinal, 
Bishop  and  Priest, —  how  many  a  Lord  Bishop,  how  many 
a  Doctor  of  Divinity,  how  many  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel, 
how  many  a  missionary,  how  many  thousands  of  professed 
disciples, —  do  you  think  will  be  found  at  the  judgment  day 
who  never  learned  or  practised  a  syllable  of  it  ?  How  many 
who  knew  it,  and  admired  it,  and  talked  of  it,  and  wrote 
about  it,  in  prose  and  rhyme,  and  wept  over  its  inimitable 
beauties, —  but  never  followed  it ;  how  many  of  such,  I  say, 
will  be  there  ?  How  many  a  poor  beggar  will  be  there ;  how 
many  a  poor  ignorant  old  woman;  how  many  a  child,  unable 
perhaps  to  read,  or  to  express  a  thought  correctly,  but  who 
had  this  most  precious  lesson  in  their  hearts,  and  showed  it  in 
their  lives ! 

"  With  them  numbered  may  we  be, 
Here  and  in  eternity  !  " 

When  Jesus  had  thus  said,  he  was  troubled  in  spirit,  and 
testified   and  said  (John  13:  21,  22),  Verily,  verily,  one 


THE    GREAT   PASSOVER.  65 

of  you  shall  betray  me.  Then  the  disciples  looked  one 
on  another,  doubting  of  whom  he  spake  (Matt.  26 :  22). 
"  And  they  were  exceedingly  sorrowful,  and  began  every  one 
of  them  to  say  unto  him,  Lord,  is  it  I  ?  And  he  answered 
and  said,  He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in  the  dish,  the 
same  shall  betray  me."  Here  Christ  does  not  intend  to  desig- 
nate the  very  person  who  should  betray  him ;  for  it  was  in 
every  disciple's  power  to  withhold  his  hand  from  dipping  with 
Christ  into  any  dish,  and  thus  to  escape  the  charge  of 
treason. 

It  may  be  the  landlord  and  his  family  joined  with  Christ 
and  his  company  in  partaking  of  the  Paschal  lamb  j  for  the 
lamb  was  to  be  wholly  consumed, —  and  thirteen  men,  who 
expect  to  partake  of  a  supper  afterwards,  would  not  think  of 
consuming  a  whole  lamb.  Or,  at  all  events,  the  landlord  and 
some  of  his  male  servants,  all  of  whom  probably  knew  Christ 
and  were  known  by  him,  must  have  been  about  the  table 
when  Christ  began  to  speak  of  the  treason  of  Judas.  What 
was  more  natural,  especially  if  they  were  disciples  in  the 
common  sense,  than  that  they  too  should  have  asked,  Lord,  is 
it  1 1  And,  indeed,  such  a  suspicion  would  much  rather  have 
fallen  upon  the  master  of  the  house,  or  his  people,  than  upon 
the  nearer  disciples  of  Christ.  The  object  of  Christ,  in  giv- 
ing the  above  general  reply,  seems  then  to  have  been  to  clear 
the  family  from  that  suspicion,  and  to  limit  it  to  the  twelve 
disciples  ;  as  also  the  Evangelist  Mark  (14  :  20)  paraphrases 
it:  "And  he  answered  and  said  unto  them,  It  is  one  of  the 
twelve  that  dippeth  with  me  in  the  dish."  To  dip  with 
one  into  the  dish  is  a  mere  proverbial  phrase  to  express 
the  relation  of  family  or  table  companionship.  This  is  con- 
firmed by  the  Evangelist  Luke  (22 :  21),  who  expresses 
the  same  idea  thus:  "But  behold  the  hand  of  him  that 
6* 


6b  THE   GREAT  PASSOVER. 

betrayeth  me  is  with  me  on  the  table."  But  Simon  Peter, 
forward  and  impatient  as  ever,  and  also  doubtless  anxious  for 
himself,  was  not  to  be  put  off  with  so  indefinite  an  answer, 
which,  indeed,  so  far  as  it  went,  did  only  increase  his  appre- 
hensions. He  therefore  beckons  John  (who  was  leaning  on 
Jesus'  bosom, —  that  is,  reclining  next  to  and  in  front  of 
Christ)  to  ask  who  the  man  was  of  whom  he  spake.  John 
asks.  "Lord,  who  is  it?"  (John  13  :  26)  and  receives  pri- 
vately the  definite  answer :  "  He  it  is  to  whom  I  shall  give  a 
sop,  when  I  have  dipped  it ;  and  when  he  had  dipped  the  sop 
he  gave  it  to  Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon."  This  sign 
was,  however,  intelligible  only  to  John,  and  did  not  make 
manifest  the  traitor  yet.  Christ,  presiding  at  the  table,  was 
then  probably  distributing  portions  among  his  disciples,  and, 
being  then  about  to  give  Judas  his  share,  he  thus  made  him 
known  privately  to  John.  Now  at  length  comes  the  question  of 
Judas  himself,  who  seems,  for  very  good  reasons,  to  have  been 
the  last  to  ask  it,  and  who  did  it,  probably,  merely  to  avoid 
suspicion.  For,  had  he  asked  it  before,  there  would  have  been 
no  need  of  the  question  of  Peter  and  John.  (Matt.  26  :  25.) 
Then  Judas,  which  betrayed  him,  answered  and  said,  Master, 
is  it  I  ?  He  said  unto  him,  Thou  hast  said  "  (that  is,  thou  art 
the  one).  (John  13  :  27 — 29.)  "  And  after  the  sop,  Satan 
entered  into  him.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  him,  That  thou 
doest  do  quickly.  Now,  no  man  at  the  table  knew  for  what 
intent  he  spake  this  unto  him.  For  some  of  them  thought, 
because  Judas  had  the  bag,  that  Jesus  had  said  unto  him, 
Buy  those  things  that  we  have  need  of  against  the  feast ;  or 
that  he  should  give  something  to  the  poor.  He  then,  having 
received  the  sop,  went  immediately  out,  and  it  was  night." 

"  And  it  was  night;" — a  night  black  and  gloomy  as  the 
deeds  it  was  to  bring  forth.     It  seems  as  though  the  night 


THE    GREAT   PASSOVER.  67 

of  hell  had  been  poured  around  Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of 
Simon,  to  shroud  the  brightness  of  the  full  moon,  and  to  hide 
him  with  his  infernal  designs  and  works.  But,  0  !  what  must 
have  been  the  spiritual  darkness  which  filled  his  heart,  while 
he  was  groping  along  through  the  narrow  streets,  to  work  out 
his  own  ruin  and  damnation,  and  forever  to  sell  his  Saviour, 
his  soul,  and  his  heaven,  for  a  pocketful  of  dust !  There  he 
goes,  away  from  Christ  and  over  to  Lucifer  and  Beelzebub, 
whose  son  he  was ;  fleeing  from  the  first  communion-table 
ever  spread  on  earth,  to  the  reprobated  enemies  of  God  and 
of  his  anointed, —  away  from  heaven,  down  to  the  lowest 
hell !  But  let  him  go ;  he  is  undone,  and  not  to  be  reclaimed. 
Jesus'  voice  and  love  prevailed  not  over  him,  and  what  in 
heaven  or  on  earth  will  1  Let  us  return  to  the  upper  cham- 
ber. There  is  no  night ;  there  is  no  darkness ;  but  light  and 
glory,  (v.  31.)  —  "  Therefore,  when  he  was  gone  out,  Jesus 
said,  Now  is  the  Son  of  Man  glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in 
him.  If  God  be  glorified  in  him,  God  shall  also  glorify  him 
in  himself,  and  shall  straightway  glorify  him.  Little  chil- 
dren, yet  a  little  while  I  am  with  you.  Ye  shall  seek  me ; 
and.  as  I  said  to  the  Jews  (so  might  I  also  say  to  you, 
though  in  a  different  and  better  sense),  whither  I  go  you  can- 
not come.  A  new  commandment  give  I  unto  you,  that  ye 
should  love  one  another  as  I  have  loved  you ;  that  ye  also 
love  one  another."  That  is,  hitherto  you  have  endeavored  to 
love  your  neighbor  as  yourselves,  and  when  you  did  thus 
much  you  deemed  yourselves  as  having  done  all ;  and,  indeed, 
you  had  done  all  which  was  required  by  the  law.  But  now 
comes  that  new  commandment ',  of  which  the  law  knows 
nothing.  Hitherto,  lawful  self-love  was  the  standard  of  your 
love  to  your  brethren,  but  henceforth  you  will  receive  a  new 
spirit  and  a  new  commandment,  to  love  one  another  as  I  have 


68  THE   GREAT   PASSOVER. 

loved  you  /  my  love  to  you  will  now  be  the  standard  of 
your  love  to  each  other  ;  and  while  none  of  you  will  expect 
any  brother  to  lay  down  his  life  for  him,  each  will  be  ready 
to  lay  down  his  life  for  all,  and  for  any  one  who  knows  and 
loves  me.  Then  follows  the  bold  pledge  of  Peter  to  lay 
down  his  life  for  Christ,  and  the  prediction  of  his  fall.  In 
the  mean  time  the  supper  was  ended,  and  the  cup  of  blessing 
which  belonged  to  the  celebration  of  the  Paschal  feast  was 
passed  round.  Then  follows  the  institution  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  and  of  the  new  Dispensation.  This  order  of  events  is 
intimated  by  Luke,  who  speaks  of  two  cups, —  of  one  before, 
the  other  after  the  bread :  one  is  that  belonging  to  the  Jewish 
Dispensation,  the  Old  Testament;  the  other  is  the  cup  of 
the  New  Testament  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  "  a  sacrifice  of 
nobler  name  and  richer  blood  than  they." 

During  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  probably  the 
contents  of  the  14th  chapter  of  St.  John  were  delivered. 
The  words  "arise,  let  us  go  hence,"  which  we  find  at  the 
close  of  that  chapter,  seem  to  indicate  that  by  that  time 
Christ  began  to  get  ready  to  pass  on  to  Gethsemane.  The 
hymn  of  thanksgiving  being  sung,  they  arose  from  the  table. 
Then,  while  the  disciples  were  standing  about  him,  still  in 
the  upper  room,  he  continued  his  conversation,  as  contained 
in  John  15  and  16,  and  closed  the  solemnities  of  the  evening 
by  the  prayer  contained  in  the  17th  chapter  of  the  same 
Evangelist.'  "  And  when  they  had  sung  an  hymn,"  say 
Matthew  and  Mark,  "  they  went  out  into  the  Mount  of 
Olives;"  "and  he  came  out,"  says  Luke,  "and  went,  as  he 
was  wont,  into  the  Mount  of  Olives ;  and  his  disciples  also 
followed  him."  "  When  Jesus  had  spoken  these  words," 
says  John,  "  he  went  forth  with  his  disciples  over  the  brook 


TilE    GREAT   PASSOVER.  69 

Cedron,  where  was  a  garden,  into  which  he  entered  and  his 
disciples." 

Thus  I  have  endeavored  to  sketch  and  arrange  the  events 
of  Thursday,  in  the  manner  which  appeared  most  consistent 
to  my  own  mind,  after  a  close  comparison  of  the  four  Evan- 
gelists, and  after  a  consultation  of  the  best  means  within  my 
reach,  which  indeed  are  the  best  ones  now  existing.  I  have 
had  occasion  to  dissent  somewhat  from  either  of  my  helps ; 
but  I  have  done  so  with  reasons  which  seemed  to  me  plainly 
to  outweigh  human  authority.  You  are  aware  that,  according 
to  the  view  which  I  have  given,  Judas,  the  traitor,  went 
away  before  the  Lord's  Supper  was  celebrated,  which  is  the 
most  important  point  in  which  I  have  been  obliged  to  depart 
from  some  of  those  of  whose  labors  I  have  availed  myself.  I 
have  had  no  personal  interest  to  do  so,  but  rather  contrariwise. 

I  should  now  like  to  have  as  much  time  again  for  practical 
remarks  as  we  have  spent  upon  the  development  of  our  sub- 
ject. But  our  time  is  more  than  expired  ;  and  I  feel  that  to 
tax  your  patience  further  would  be  more  than  what  I  am 
entitled  to.  Take,  my  friends,  this  Meditation  as  it  is,  and 
not  as  it  ought  to  be.  Some  critical  remarks,  which  crowded 
themselves  irresistibly  into  it,  have,  I  know,  done  much 
injury  to  its  warmth,  but  they  could  not  be  omitted. 

But  what  troubles  me  most  is,  that  I  have  so  much  failed 
to  set  forth  Christ  in  the  fulness  of  his  beauty  and  love,  in 
which  he  appears  through  the  whole  scene  through  which  we 
have  passed.  This  could,  however,  not  have  been  done  with- 
out an  analysis  of  all  he  uttered  on  the  occasion,  and  this 
must  needs  have  occupied  days. 

But  let  me  not  turn  away  now  from  our  Meditation  with- 
out paying  some  feeble  tribute  of  admiration  to  Him  who 
loved  his  own  that  were  in  the  world  even  to  the  end.     He 


70  THE   GREAT   PASSOVER. 

knew  all  which  was  before  him.  He  knew  that  he  had  seen 
his  last  setting  sun ;  he  knew  this  was  his  last  night ;  he 
knew  that  within  two  or  three  hours  he  would  be  prostrated  in 
the  dust  under  the  weight  of  our  guilt,  and  be  in  the  far  most 
disconsolate  condition  in  which  ever  man  was ;  he  knew  that 
within  a  few  hours  he  should  be  dragged  and  hurried  back 
by  the  very  path  and  through  the  very  gate  by  which  he  was 
about  to  go  over  to  the  Mount  of  Olives ;  he  knew  that  dur- 
ing the  night  he  should  be  forsaken  of  all  his  disciples,  be 
pulled  and  thrust  through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  calumni- 
ated, mocked,  spit  upon,  whipped,  and  scourged;  he  knew 
that  ere  the  sun  should  reach  his  meridian  height  again  he 
should  pass  through  the  opposite  gate,  to  be  nailed  to  the 
accursed  tree ;  he  knew  that  before  another  evening  should 
come  he  would  lie  in  the  cold  grave ;  and  still  he  seeks  no 
consolation  from  his  friends,  he  makes  no  efforts  to  excite 
their  sympathies.  Nay,  he  pities  and  comforts  them,  he 
prays  with  them  and  for  them,  that  their  faith  might  not 
cease ;  and  he  labors  for  their  good  to  his  last  breath,  until 
the  "sorrows  of  death"  and  the  "pains  of  hell"  gat  hold 
upon  him, —  no  otherwise  than  if  he  was  to  prepare  them, 
and  not  himself,  for  death.  Still  more  :  he  provides  for  the 
comfort  and  consolation  of  his  dear  flock  through  all  future 
times,  and  leaves  them  an  inexhaustible  legacy  in  the  feast 
of  his  dying  love,  in  the  sure  promise  of  that  eternal  Com- 
forter whom  he  promised  to  send,  and  in  the  unfailing 
prospect  of  his  personal  return  to  gather  all  his  beloved  unto 
himself,  that  they  might  be  where  he  is,  and  forever  behold 
and  share  his  glory.  Does  not  this  picture  bear  the  seal  of 
heaven  1  Will  any  one  say  it  is  earthly,  and  has  sprung  up 
in  the  heart  of  selfish  man  1  Does  it  not  flow  down  with 
the  tender  mercies  of  God  1 


THE   GREAT   PASSOVER.  71 

May  he  who  was  comforting  his  friends  and  praying  for  his 
foes,  when  they  were  in  the  strength  of  life  and  health,  and 
he  in  the  agonies  of  death, —  may  he  comfort  us  from  the 
throne  of  his  glory,  and  plead  our  cause  upon  the  mercy-seat, 
when  we  are  gasping  in  death,  and  our  souls  take  their  flight 
from  this  world  to  return  no  more  !     Amen. 


IV. 

CHRIST  IN  GETHSEMANE. 

And  when  they  nad  sung  an  hymn,  they  went  out  into  the  Mount  of 
Olives.  Then  saith  Jesus  unto  them,  All  ye  shall  be  offended  because  of 
me  this  night :  for  it  is  written,  I  will  smite  the  Shepherd,  and  the  sheep 
of  the  flock  shall  be  scattered  abroad.  But  after  I  am  risen  again,  I  will 
go  before  you  into  Galilee.  Peter  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Though  all 
men  shall  be  offended  because  of  thee,  yet  will  I  never  be  offended.  Jesus 
said  unto  him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  That  this  night,  before  the  cock  crow 
{twice,  —  Mark] ,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  Peter  said  unto  him,  Though 
I  should  die  with  thee,  yet  will  I  not  deny  thee.  Likewise  also  said  all  the 
disciples.  Then  cometh  Jesus  with  them  unto  a  place  called  Gethsemane, 
and  saith  unto  the  disciples,  Sit  ye  here,  while  I  go  and  pray  yonder.  And 
he  took  with  him  Peter  and  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee,  and  began  to  be  sor- 
rowful and  very  heavy.  Then  saith  he  unto  them,  My  soul  is  exceeding 
sorrowful,  even  unto  death  :  tarry  ye  here,  and  watch  with  me.  And  he 
went  a  little  further  [about  a  stone's  cast,  — Luke  22  :  41],  and  fell  on  his 
face,  and  prayed,  saying,  0,  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass 
from  me  ;  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt.  And  he  cometh 
unto  the  disciples,  and  findeth  them  asleep,  and  saith  unto  Peter,  What, 
could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  hour  ?  "Watch  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not 
into  temptation  ;  the  spirit,  indeed,  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak.  He 
went  away  again  the  second  time,  and  prayed,  saying,  0,  my  Father,  if 
this  cup  may  not  pass  away  from  me,  except  I  drink  it,  thy  will  be  done. 
And  he  came  and  found  them  asleep  again  ;  for  their  eyes  were  heavy 
[neither  wist  they  what  to  answer  him,  —  Mark  14  :  40].  And  he  left 
them,  and  went  away  again,  and  prayed  the  third  time,  saying  the  same 
words.  —  Matthew  26  :  30 — 44.  And  there  appeared  an  angel  unto  him 
from  heaven,  strengthening  him.  And  being  in  an  agony,  he  prayed  more 
earnestly  ;  and  his  sweat  was  as  it  were  great  drops  of  blood  falling  down 


CHRIST  in  <;etiisemane.  73 

to  the  ground.  And  when  lie  rose  up  from  prayer,  and  was  come  to 
his  disciples,  he  found  them  sleeping  for  sorrow. — Luke  22:  43—45. 
And  (he)  saith  unto  them,  (will  you)  Sleep  on  now,  and  take  your  rest  (?); 
it  is  enough,  the  hour  is  come  ;  behold,  the  Son  of  Man  is  betrayed  into 
the  hands  of  sinners.  Rise  up  ;  let  us  go  ;  lo,  he  that  betray eth  me  is  at 
hand.  —  Mark  14  :  41,42. 

In  our  last  Meditation  on  that  general  subject  of  which  we 
have  now  so  solemn  a  part  before  us,  we  left  Christ  and  his 
eleven  disciples  on  their  way  out  of  the  city,  after  the  solem- 
nities of  the  Passover  and  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
were  finished.  It  was  now  late,  and  the  hour  was  drawing 
near  for  a  scene  in  the  history  of  our  world,  the  awful  solem- 
nity and  the  glorious  consequences  of  which,  vying  with  each 
other,  equally  and  immeasurably  transcend  seraphic  powers 
of  thought  and  of  praise.  The  hour  was  fixed  and  the  place 
appointed  in  the  divine  purpose ;  and  our  Saviour  makes  no 
delay  to  repair  to  the  spot  which  was  to  be  consecrated  within 
an  hour  by  his  tears  and  groans,  his  sweat  and  his  blood. 
After  passing  that  gate  which  was  situated  nearest  to  the 
temple  walls  on  the  north,  now  called  Stephen's  gate,  the 
road  winds  down,  somewhat  to  the  right,  into  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat,  through  which  was  then  meandering  the  brook  of 
Cedron.  A  few  steps  after  crossing  the  bridge  of  that  brook, 
which  is  now  quite  dried  up,  and  turning  about  to  the  south- 
east, the  road  is  divided  into  two ;  the  one,  on  the  left,  ascend- 
ing more  towards  the  summit  of  Mount  Olivet,  the  other,  on  the 
right,  rising  more  gently,  and  winding  around  the  eminence ; 
but  both  leading  towards  Bethphage  and  Bethany.  The  road 
is  thus  divided  by  an  olive-yard,  surrounded  by  a  low  stone 
wall ;  and  within  it  the  visitor  may  still  see  eight  olive-trees 
of  great  antiquity.  This  is  Gethsemane.  It  was  then  fur- 
nished with  an  olive-press,  probably  also  made  use  of  by  the 


74  CHRIST   IN   GETHSEMANE. 

neighbors,  which  circumstance  gave  it  this  name.  To  this 
humble  spot  Christ  now  resorts,  with  his  eleven  disciples. 
Our  Lord  seems  to  have  been  acquainted  with  the  owner ; 
and  he  was  in  the  habit  of  spending  his  nights  there,  when- 
ever it  was  too  late  to  return  to  his  pious  friends  at  Bethany. 
For  Luke  says,  that  "he  went,  as  he  was  wont,  to  the 
Mount  of  Olives;"  and  the  Evangelist  John  says,  that 
"  Jesus  oftentimes  resorted  thither  with  his  disciples."  It 
was,  however,  not  a  public  or  much  frequented  place ;  for 
John  remarks  that  Judas,  which  betrayed  him,  knew  the 
place :  which  implies  that  it  was  not  generally  known  to  be 
one  of  the  resting-places  of  our  Lord,  or  even  much  noticed 
by  people  at  large.  It  may  have  been  a  poor,  pious  family, 
or,  perhaps,  a  single,  plain,  and  godly  keeper  of  the  garden, 
that  resided  there  ;  and  poverty  and  piety  have  always  been 
sufficient  to  withdraw  men  from  the  notice  and  regard  of  the 
world.  Even  at  this  season,  when  all  tolerably  furnished 
houses  in  and  about  Jerusalem  must  needs  have  been  filled  to 
overflowing,  Gethsemane  appears  as  a  deserted  and  solitary 
spot. 

It  seems  probable,  too,  that  whenever  Christ  resorted  to 
this  place  he  expected  to  spend  his  night  in  the  open  air, 
slumbering  with  his  disciples  under  the  trees,  or  on  some  seat 
or  bench  about  the  humble  dwelling,  as  though  this  was  a 
more  eligible  couch  than  could  be  expected  in  the  house  itself, 
if  there  was  one.  For  none  of  his  disciples  even  suggest  the 
idea  of  calling  the  inmates  up,  though  this  must  have  ap- 
peared to  them  desirable,  as  they  could  not  possibly  be  igno- 
rant of  some  approaching  danger,  after  all  the  solemn 
preparations  which  their  Lord  had  made  for  his  separation 
from  them.  Swords  they  had  provided  against  their 
Master's  will ;  but  to  get  into  a  safe  dwelling  in  the  garden 


CHRIST   IN   GETHSEMANE.  T5 

does  not  occur  to  them, —  an  evidence  that  there  was  none 
there.  "  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds  of  the  air  have 
nests;  but  the  Son  of  Man  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head." 

Neither  the  High  Priest,  nor  even  his  servants,  nor  any 
of  the  self-mortifying  Pharisees,  seem  to  have  so  much  as 
known  that  place  where  Christ  "oftentimes"  took  his 
night's  rest  on  the  ground,  after  a  day  of  hard  labor  per- 
formed, and  of  still  harder  rebuke  and  wrong  suffered.  And 
thus  it  often  afterwards  happened  that  the  most  precious  and 
lovely  of  God's  children  lodged  and  worshipped  in  caves  and 
forests,  unvisited  by  and  unknown  to  their  persecuting 
enemies  in  high  and  sacred  office,  except  when  infernal  fury 
goaded  them  on  to  explore  those  unenviable  abodes,  in  order  to 
draw  out  godly  men  and  women  and  innocent  children  to 
torture  and  death.  But  now  those  suffering  saints  are  in 
heaven  with  Christ;  and  their  infuriated  enemies,  that  were 
mightier  than  they,  are  with  Annas  and  Caiaphas  in  hell.  To 
this  place  he  resorted  now  for  the  last  time.  Let  us,  my  dear 
friends,  accompany  him.  Our  respective  personal  cases,  our 
personal,  eternal  destinies,  are  eternally  interwoven  with  its 
scene,  a  scene  to  which  I  can  find  no  epithet. —  surely  our 
hearts  ought  to  be  no  strangers  to  it.  Would  I  could  lead 
you  now  into  the  very  place,  instead  of  endeavoring  to  recall 
its  unparalleled  events  in  unfit  words  and  fleeting  sounds.  It 
would  be  better  for  us  all,  perhaps,  to  stand  around  the 
sacred  place  in  silence,  and  see  what  never  man  saw  and  hear 
what  never  man  heard,  than  to  listen  to  the  united  harmony 
of  heaven,  or  to  view  at  one  glance  from  the  Mount  of  Pat- 
mos  the  golden  streets  and  pearly  gates  of  New  Jerusalem. 

But  let  us  lose  no  time.  We  will  attend  to  our  subject  as 
well  as  we  can.  May  we  be  blessed  to-day  with  a  solemn 
and  humble  frame  of  mind  ;  may  we  be  enabled  to  put  off  our 


76  CHRIST  IN   GETHSEMANE. 

shoes,  for  the  ground  upon  which  we  stand  is  holy  ground ; 
and  may  I  be  enabled  to  speak,  not  with  the  intelligence, 
power  and  eloquence,  of  a  superior  spirit  (for  this  would 
render  me  no  more  fit  to  do  justice  to  the  subject  than  I  am 
now),  but  with  the  feelings  of  a  poor,  pardoned,  believing 
sinner,  who  knows  nothing  but  Christ  and  his  cross. 

I  propose  to  divide  the  subject  of  our  Meditation  into  four 
parts  : 

I.  Christ's  agony  in  the  garden. 

II.  His  utter  destitution   of  all  human  comfort 

AND   SUPPORT. 

III.  HlS   ENTIRE   SUBJECTION   TO   HIS   FATHER'S   WILL. 

IV.  His  heavenly  consolations. 

I.  Many  curious  and  not  a  few  profane  inquiries  have 
been  made  with  regard  to  the  topic  now  before  us.  What 
was.  the  cause  of  the  anxiety  and  distress  which  Jesus  mani- 
fested in  the  garden  ?  Was  it  mere  apprehension  of  what  he 
knew  was  about  to  burst  upon  him  ?  But,  if  he  knew  his 
approaching  sufferings,  certainly  he  knew,  too,  "the  glory 
which  should  follow ; "  he  was  sure  of  victory.  Could  he, 
who  had,  for  thirty  years  and  more,  foregone  the  very  glories 
of  heaven,  and  borne  not  the  usual,  but  the  most  unusual 
inconveniences  of  this  miserable  world, — could  he  experience 
such  misgivings  at  that  catastrophe,  which,  though  dreadful 
in  the  extreme,  was  the  very  one  which  was  to  work  the 
peace  of  this  world,  and  open  to  him  the  high  gates  and  the 
"  everlasting  doors"  of  his  endless  and  universal  reign? 
True,  it  may  be  said,  stoicism  had  not  destroyed  his  natural 
sensibilities ;  fanaticism  had  not  inflamed  his  imagination, 
nor  sundered  the  mysterious  ties  nor  destroyed  the  mutual 
sympathies  of  body  and  soul  in  him  ;  quietism  had  not  wrapt 
him  away  from  the  world  of  realities  into  that  wide,  lifeless, 


CHRIST   IN   GETHSEMANE.  77 

breathless  desert  of  moral  enchantment;  where  all  natural 
and  moral  distinctions  pretend  to  vanish ;  true,  that  madness 
which  men  call  bravery  was  of  all  things  the  furthest  from 
him;  and  all  the  selfish  motives  by  which  common  wicked 
men  are  borne  on  in  the  closest  encounter  of  perils,  sufferings, 
and  death,  in  every  imaginable  form,  could  be  no  support  to 
him  who  was  holy  and  harmless,  and  separate  from  sinners ; 
and  we  will  even  grant  that  he  was  either  not  permitted,  or 
did  not  choose  to  call  forth  the  energies  of  his  divine  nature, 
to  sustain  him  in  his  dreadful  contest,  but  that  he  encoun- 
tered it  purely  with  the  powers  of  his  holy  humanity.  To 
this  concession,  indeed,  we  are  driven  by  the  fact  that  an 
angel,  a  created  being,  was  sent  to  comfort  and  strengthen 
him.  And  we  will  grant,  too,  that  the  Christian  martyrs, 
who  in  after  times  showed  so  much  courage,  were  in  a  very 
different  and  far  better  situation  than  he ;  they  had  a 
Saviour  in  heaven,  and  a  special  Comforter  sent  into  their 
hearts  by  their  risen,  ascended,  and  omnipotent  Redeemer, 
while  "the  man  Jesus  Christ"  in  Gethsemane  feels  himself 
solitary.  Nevertheless,  if  mere  bodily  sufferings  at  hand 
distressed  him  so  much,  where,  we  ask,  is  the  unconquerable 
fortitude  of  this  superior  person  ?  Where  is  the  advantage 
of  a  calm  and  peaceful  mind  such  as  he  possessed  ?  Where 
are  the  consolations  of  a  pure  and  holy  conscience  ?  where 
the  comforts  of  untarnished  piety?  where  the  secret  com- 
munications of  the  divine  favor?  and  where  the  power  of 
faith,  and  of  prayer  unremitted  ?  Was  their  combined  influ- 
ence unable  to  support  him  at  the  approach  of  transitory 
bodily  sufferings,  though  their  degree  be  ever  so  great? 
Verily,  there  is  something  more  here  than  the  apprehension 
of  bodily  pain  and  death,  be  it  what  it  may. 
7* 


78  CHRIST  IN   GETHSEMANE. 

"Search  the  Scriptures,"  saith  the  Lord;  "  they  testify 
of  me." 

Already,  in  the  Old  Dispensation,  the  laying  on  of  the 
sinner's  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  sacrifice  which  was  to 
be  offered  in  his  place,  and  the  laying  on  of  Israel's  sins  upon 
the  scape-goat,  were  evidently  calculated  to  awaken  and  to 
cherish  the  impression  of  a  translation  of  sin.  The  very 
words  which  the  Scriptures  use  on  those  occasions  express 
the  idea,  and  could  make  no  other  impression  upon  a  plain, 
unsophisticated  people,  who  were -far  enough  from  the  pre- 
sumption of  correcting  the  supposed  blunders  or  the  daring 
language  of  the  Bible,  by  the  abstract  principles  of  their 
moral  philosophy,  as  the  wise  men  of  our  age  are  doing. 
Men  find  it  very  hard,  I  know,  to  understand  how  sin 
should  be  transferred.  But,  whether  it  be  any  easier  to 
understand  how,  sin  being  untransferred.  the  sinner 
should  be  treated  like  a  righteous  man,  because  the  righteous 
man  was  treated  like  a  sinner  on  his  account, —  and  that 
under  a  perfect  moral  government, —  I  leave  them  to 
judge.  But,  after  all,  "  why  should  it  be  thought  a  thing 
incredible  with  you  "  that  sin  should  be  transferred, —  with 
you,  who  acknowledge,  with  one  consent,  that  a  single  word 
uttered  before  the  judge,  or  one  stroke  of  the  pen,  may 
make  one  man  surety  for  another,  and  thus  transfer  a 
pecuniary  debt  from  one  individual  to  another,  to  all  essen- 
tial intents  and  purposes, —  a  debt  which  that  other  individual 
never  incurred,  nor  had  any  connection  with  whatever  7  Not 
as  though  the  surety  of  the  real  debtor  declared,  by  taking 
the  place  of  the  latter,  that  he  had  originally  contracted  the 
debt,  or  as  though  any  one  understood  him  as  making,  in  any 
sense,  this  untrue  assertion.  No ;  his  character  is  clear,  his 
generous  motive  universally  admired  :  yet  the  debt  is  trans- 


CHRIST   IN    GETHSEMANE.  79 

ferred;  nor  could  this  benevolent  person  ever  be  legally 
called  upon  for  payment,  if  this  were  not  the  case.  Against 
the  possibility  of  such  a  transfer  no  one  objects,  that  I  am 
aware  of.  Whence,  all  at  once,  the  impossibility  of  such  a 
transfer,  merely  because  the  debt  is  a  moral,  and  not  a 
pecuniary  one  1  If  one  debt  may  conceivably  be  transferred 
as  well  as  another,  is  it  not  really  seeking  difficulties  where 
there  are  none,  to  say  that  "Jesus  Christ  the  righteous" 
was  merely  treated  by  God  like  a  sinner,  without  a  transfer 
of  our  guilt  to  him,  and  not  rather  on  account  of  it,  and 
after  it  ?  Who  has  ever  heard  of  a  man's  going  to  prison 
for  the  debts  of  another,  without  having  previously  recog- 
nized those  debts  as  his  own  ?  The  whole  scheme  of  sacri- 
fices speaks  of  a  transfer  of  sin,  and  an  exchange  of  places 
before  the  bar  of  God,  in  favor  of  believing  sinners, —  and 
what  the  sacrifices  shadowed  forth  becomes  reality  in 
Christ.  Our  sins  are  his,  his  righteousness  is  ours,  if 
we  believe.  It  is,  humanly  speaking,  a  legal  transaction, 
which  took  place  within  the  council  of  the  Holy  Trinity 
before  the  world  was ;  and  that  transfer  is  the  very  subject 
of  that  covenant  between  the  Father  and  the  Son,  upon  which 
the  salvation  of  a  perishing  world  rests.  Taking  this  view 
of  the  subject,  we  shall  find  a  difficult  verse,  in  Psalms  69, 
rendered  plain.  This  Psalm  is  a  Messiah  prophecy ;  Christ 
has  repeatedly  quoted  it,  and  applied  it  to  himself.  The 
fifth  verse  of  it  reads  thus  :  —  uO  God,  thou  knowest  my 
foolishness;  and  my  sins  are  not  hid  from  thee;" — a 
troublesome  passage!  The  word  "foolishness"  means,  in 
the  actual  connection,  sins  of  ignorance,  at  the  mildest; 
and  the  word  "sins"  expresses  positive  transgressions, — 
real  guilt.  To  shift  off  this  verse  from  Christ  upon  another 
subject,  is  impossible,  without  doing  violence  to  the  sacred 


80  CHRIST   IN   GETHSEMANE. 

text ;  while  no  figure  of  speech  will  soften  these  expressions 
so  as  to  make  them  predicable  of  anything  in  the  character 
or  life  of  Christ.  Christ  had  sins,  then,  which  he  called  his 
own  ;  and  whose  could  they  originally  have  been, —  since  he 
was  ever  sinless, —  but  ours  ?  They  were  ours, —  now  they 
are  his ;  of  course  they  were  transferred,  like  a  debt ;  and 
their  payment  now  demanded  from  him  occasions  him  the 
anguish  predicted  in  our  Psalm,  and  fulfilled  in  our  text. 
Of  similar  import,  probably,  is  Ps.  40 :  12.  In  2  Cor.  5 : 
21,  we  read,  "for  he  (that  is,  God)  hath  him  (Christ)  to  be 
sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin ;  that  we  might  be  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  him."  To  take  "  sin  "  as  meaning 
sin-offering,  would  be  destroying  the  relation  of  the  term 
"sin"  to  the  opposite  term  "righteousness  of  God."  The 
import  is  strictly  this :  God  made  Christ  a  sinner  for  us, 
that  we  might  become  divinely  righteous  in  him ;  just  as  the 
judge  pronounces  the  surety  to  be  the  real  debtor  of  the  sum 
in  question,  while  the  real  contractor  of  the  debt  is  realty 
released.  What  language  can  be  stronger  ?  What  thought 
more  comfortable  to  a  believing  sinner  ?  To  adduce  but  one 
passage  more  of  this  kind.  —  Gal.  3  :  13,  it  is  said,  "  Christ 
hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made 
a  curse  for  us  ;  "  everywhere  an  exchange  of  character  and 
place  at  the  bar  of  heaven,  and  not  merely  of  sentence,  or 
fate.  The  language  of  Scripture  is  too  powerful  to  admit 
of  such  a  superficial  view,  and  one  which,  in  my  estimation, 
is  beset  with  many  and  real  difficulties.  Again,  the  apostle, 
in  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  5 :  7,  says  that  Christ,  "  in 
the  days  of  his  flesh,  when  he  had  offered  up  prayers  and 
supplications,  with  strong  crying  and  tears,  unto  Him  that 
ivas  able  to  save  him  from  death,  was  heard."  Whether 
this  passage  refers  to  Christ's  sufferings  in  the  garden  ex- 


CHRIST  IN   GETHSEMANE.  81 

clusivelj/,  or  only  by  way  of  eminence,  is  immaterial  to  us 
now.  According  to  it,  he  was  heard  by  him  that  was  able 
to  save  him  from  death.  Yet  from  bodily  death  he  neither 
was  saved,  nor  did  he  choose  or  ask  to  be  so.  From  what 
death,  then,  was  he  saved?  Let  the  Psalmist  reply:  — 
"  Thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from  death."  Or,  if  you 
want  the  most  direct  answer,  here  it  is  :  —  "  The  king  shall 
joy  in  thy  strength,  0  Lord,  and  in  thy  salvation  shall  he 
greatly  rejoice !  Thou  hast  given  him  his  heart's  desire,  and 
hast  not  withhblden  the  request  of  his  lips,  Selah.  He  asked 
life  of  thee,  and  thou  gavest  it  him,  even  length  of  days 
for  ever  and  ever."  According  to  these  passages,  Christ  was 
saved  from  the  death  of  the  soul, —  the  second  death,  the 
terrors  of  which  must,  therefore,  have  stood  in  threatening 
array  about  him  during  some  period  of  his  sufferings ;  and, 
as  that  deliverance  was  the  effect  of  his  strong  crying  and 
supplication  to  God,  what  period,  I  ask,  answers  this  de- 
scription better  than  the  awful  hour  of  darkness  and  terror 
in  Gethsemane  1  Nor  is  this  a  matter  of  mere  speculation, 
or  unhallowed,  curious  inquiry.  Were  this  the  case,  I  should 
never  have  touched  upon  it.  No,  it  has  its  profound  prac- 
tical interest.  In  Heb.  4 :  15,  the  apostle  gives  us  the 
consolation,  and  every  Christian  feels  its  preciousness,  that 
we  have  an  High  Priest  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  who  "  was 
in  all  points  tempted  (exercised)  like  as  we  are,  yet  without 
sin,"  that  is,  without  committing  any  sin.  And  the  same 
apostle  assures  us, —  and  every  Christian  feels  its  truth, — 
that  we  needed  such  an  High  Priest.  But  where  is  the  one 
of  all  the  "  points,"  where  the  period,  what  the  condition, 
in  which  we  need  the  experienced  sympathies  of  our  great 
High  Priest  more  than  when  our  sins  rush  upon  us  like 
destruction  from  the  Almighty,  and  when  our  very  souls  are 


82  CHRIST  IN   GETHSEMANE. 

swallowed  up,  almost,  by  the  terrors  of  the  second  death ! 
0  !  if  he  did  not  know  how  to  sympathize  with  us  then,  he 
could  not  have  been  said  to  be  tempted  in  all  points, —  no, 
not  in  the  most  essential  point, —  like  as  we  are,  and  we 
should  want  another  High  Priest  besides  him  still. 

What,  then,  was  the  agony  of  Christ  in  the  garden  ?  We 
may  now  venture  a  reply,  though  the  full  view  of  the  subject 
the  Lord  will  doubtless  give  us  himself,  in  the  other  world. 
First,  our  Lord's  agony  in  the  garden  included  as  much  of 
that  mental  distress  which  the  sins  of  our  race  would  have 
brought  upon  their  consciences,  when  awakened  and  tender, 
as  the  divine  law  required  for  payment  of  an  equivalent  from 
a  personage  so  eminent  as  Christ  was,  an  ordeal  which  ren- 
dered him  at  the  same  time  infinitely  more  than  equally  expe- 
rienced with  the  most  tried  and  tempted  of  his  followers  upon 
earth.  But,  secondly,  that  which  may  be  called  the  natural 
effects  of  sin  upon  awakened  conscience  was  not  all  that  Christ 
endured.  This  could  have  been  no  equivalent,  in  the  balance 
of  the  sanctuary  in  heaven,  sufficient  to  cover  the  whole 
ground  of  our  debt  to  the  broken  law.  The  convicted  sinner, 
whatever  the  meltings  of  his  soul  may  be  in  view  of  his  sins, 
does  not  pay  thereby  so  much  as  one  sin  committed  in  a  wan- 
dering thought.  The  law  has  very  different  claims  upon  him 
from  these.  Eternal  horrors  are  the  righteous  penalty  of 
rebellion  against  the  majesty  of  Heaven.  They  are  emphatic- 
ally death  —  a  death  as  eternal  as  the  soul  that  sinned.  The 
equivalent  of  these,  as  incurred  by  the  whole  uncounted  host 
of  redeemed  sinners,  was  laid  upon  the  soul  of  Jesus.  He 
paid  what  he  had  not  robbed,  the  enormous  debt  of  a  rebel- 
lious world.  It  is  indeed  obvious  that,  in  our  present  state 
of  knowledge  in  divine  things,  which  is  but  "  in  part,"  we 
are  unable  to  estimate  what  divine  justice  would  require  from 


CHRIST   IN   GETHSEMANE.  83 

the  incarnate  Son  of  the  Father,  to  correspond  to  the  extent 
of  a  penalty  to  be  exacted  from  an  entire  world,  and  to  the 
eternity  of  endurance  to  which  sinners  were  justly  doomed. 
So  much,  however,  is  unquestionable, —  that  this  great  Suf- 
ferer, who  had  come  down  from  the  throne  of  glory,  was  able 
to  satisfy  any  demands  whatsoever  of  the  law,  by  making  the 
intensity  of  his  sorrows  answer  to  the  extent  and  the  infinitude 
of  his  free  self-renunciation  to  the  eternity  which  attached 
by  the  just  sentence  of  Heaven  to  the  penalty  due  from  the 
transgressors  thus  atoned  for.  But  heaven  alone  can  unfold 
this  great  and  glorious  mystery  of  godliness.  Yes,  the  ter- 
rors of  the  second  death  stared  into  his  face,  distracted  his 
soul,  and  created  a  state  of  suffering  so  far  beyond  human 
conception  and  strength,  that  his  bodily  frame  would,  it 
seems,  have  succumbed  under  it,  without  miraculous  aid  from 
above.  Then  Satan  made  his  last  desperate  efforts;  and 
that  he  left  no  infernal  resource  untried  upon  the  suffering 
Saviour,  over  whom  now  the  waves  and  billows  of  a  broken 
law  rolled  in  unrestrained  fury,  who  that  knows  the  arch- 
fiend will  ever  doubt  ?  And,  lastly,  the  deep  gloom  of  the 
hour  was  still  deepened  by  what  was  yet  to  follow,  even  to 
the  desertion  of  his  soul  by  the  Father  of  mercies,  and  the 
God  of  all  grace  and  consolation.  This  is  plain  from  his  own 
words,  when  he  comes  to  his  disciples  the  last  time:  "  Will 
you  sleep  on  now  and  take  your  rest  I  It  is  enough ;  the 
hour  is  come ;  behold,  the  Son  of  Man  is  betrayed  into  the 
hands  of  sinners.  Rise  up  !  let  us  go  !  Lo,  he  that  betray  - 
eth  me  is  at  hand  !  "  Says  the  pious  Henry,  "He  had  a 
full  and  clear  prospect  of  all  the  sufferings  that  were  before 
him.  He  foresaw  the  treachery  of  Judas,  the  unkindness  of 
Peter,  the  malice  of  the  Jews,  and  their  base  ingratitude. 
He  knew  that  he  should  now  in  a  few  hours  be  scourged,  spit 


84  CHRIST  IN    GETHSEMANE. 

upon,  crowned  with  thorns,  nailed  to  the  cross.  Death,  in 
its  most  dreadful  appearances, —  Death,  in  pomp,  attended 
with  all  its  terrors,  looked  him  in  the  face." 

Thus  far  we  have  spoken  chiefly  of  the  nature  of  the  agony 
of  Christ  in  Gethsemane,  although  the  depth  and  intensity  of  it 
necessarily  occupied  our  attention  also.  Let  us  now  cast  one 
glance  more  at  the  latter  subject.  The  evangelists  evidently 
wrote  in  the  clearest  frame  of  mind,  and  are  nothing  but 
sober  narrators  of  their  facts,  even  in  this  and  similar 
instances.  Yet  the  terms  they  here  use  are  of  great  empha- 
sis, and  the  picture  which  they  draw  is  full  of  gloom.  Christ 
no  sooner  comes  to  the  garden  than  he  takes  his  three  more 
confidential  disciples,  separates  himself  from  the  rest,  and 
begins  to  be  sorrowful  and  very  heavy  (^I«to  Iv^siaBai  xal 
cidrifiopeiv}'  he  became  overwhelmed  and  distracted  with  dis- 
tress. These  two  words  in  the  original  text,  of  which  the  lat- 
ter is  more  emphatic  than  the  former,  so  as  to  make  a  climax, 
are  joined,  for  the  sake  of  emphasis,  to  express  one  thought, 
together,  for  the  expression  of  which  either  word  alone  would 
have  been  too  weak.  This  condition  of  our  Lord  the  disciples 
first  inferred  from  his  appearance,  but  soon  out  of  the  abun- 
dance of  his  depressed  heart  his  mouth  spoke.  Unable  to 
bear  it  any  longer  alone,  he  said  unto  them,  "My  soul" — 
my  very  soul,  as  we  should  say — "is  exceeding  sorrowful" 
■ — (Ttegilvnos)  surrounded  with  sorrow — "even  unto  death." 
Stronger  expressions  than  these  do  not  exist  in  language,  and 
exaggeration  is  out  of  the  question  here.  Then,  seeing  them 
weary  and  sleepy,  he  adds,  "  Tarry  here  " —  do  not  return  to 
the  others  to  sleep ;  watch  with  me  !  His  strength  was  spent, 
and  for  the  first  time  he  felt  the  need  of  human  sympathy. 
But,  soon  finding  even  their  company  burdensome,  he  tears 
himself  away  from  them,  about  a  stone's  cast,  to  pray  alone. 


CHRIST   IN    GETIISEMANE.  85 

Then  he  assumes  the  attitude  of  deepest  distress, —  lie  falls 
"on  his  face,"  and  pours  out  his  soul.  Submission  he  finds 
in  his  heart  while  praying,  but  relief  he  finds  none.  Dis- 
tressed he  returns  to  his  disciples,  and  "findeth  them  asleep." 
And  he  saith  unto  Peter,  "What!  " — you  have  made  such 
professions  of  attachment  to  me,  you  wanted  to  die  for  me, — 
"could  you  not  watch  with  me  one  hour?"  Alas!  he 
pleads  for  one  hour's  sympathy  and  assistance  from  his  weak 
and  drowsy  followers.  0  !  how  destitute  must  he  have  felt 
himself!  He  goes  the  second  time  to  pray  alone,  and  finds 
no  relief:  he  returns  the  second  time  to  his  disciples,  and 
finds  no  sympathy.  Human  relief  fails ;  God  remains  his 
last  hope.  Tearing  away  once  more,  he  prostrates  himself 
again  (compare  Luke  22:  45 —  y.at  dva^ds  x.  t.  A.), —  and 
now  the  most  awful  struggle  for  life  begins.  And,  being  in 
an  agony,  he  prayed  more  earnestly ;  and  in  the  cool  night 
season,  while  prostrated  on  the  damp  ground,  the  sweat  of 
anguish  breaks  out  over  his  whole  body,  and  is,  as  it  were, 
great  drops  of  blood  falling  down  to  the  ground.  "  And 
there  appeared  an  angel  unto  him  from  heaven,  strengthening 
him."  Such,  then,  was  his  frame  of  mind,  that  no  ordinary 
means  did  suffice  to  relieve  him ;  an  angel,  with  an  express 
message  and  peculiar  assurances,  must  be  sent.  High  and 
distinguished  honor,  indeed,  to  be  the  bearer  of  this  errand  — 
an  errand  before  unheard  of  in  heaven  !  But  can  you  think 
of  anything  more  fit  to  impress  us  with  ideas  of  the  most 
awful,  I  had  almost  said  unnatural  distress,  than  the  need  of 
a  messenger  from  heaven  to  comfort  and  strengthen  Jesus, 
the  Son  of  God,  lest  his  distress  should  crush  him?  But  we 
must  hasten  to  our  second  topic. 

II.  I  have  already  and  necessarily  anticipated  so  much  of 
the  three  remaining  topics  of  our  Meditation,  that  I  may  hope 
8 


86  CHRIST  IN   GETHSEMANE. 

to  study  more  brevity  in  remarking  upon  them  than  I  have 
been  able  to  do  thus  far. 

There  is  doubtless  something  very  strange  in  the  conduct 
of  the  disciples  on  this  occasion.  Eleven  pious  and  tender- 
hearted, active,  self-denying  men  profoundly  asleep,  -while 
their  beloved  Master,  for  whom  they  were  willing  to  lay  down 
their  lives,  is  distracted  with  sorrow  and  writhing  under  the 
agonies  of  death  !  For  aught  that  appears,  there  is  no  plea 
to  be  urged  in  their  behalf.  They  had  not  been  obliged  to 
watch  the  previous  nights ;  they  had  not  been  fatigued  during 
the  week  past ;  all  the  preceding  day  they  were  with  Christ 
at  Bethany,  except  those  who  ordered  the  Passover  to  be  pre- 
pared. They  had  just  gone  through  scenes  which  ought  to 
have  stirred  at  least  all  the  natural  powers  and  sensibilities  of 
their  minds.  They  had  just  celebrated  the  deliverance  of 
Israel  from  bondage  — ■  a  solemnity  which  kept  many  of  the 
Jews  up  all  night ;  their  hearts  must  have  been  deeply  affected 
with  the  humbling  example  which  Christ  gave  them  in  wash- 
ing their  feet,  while  they  wrere  quarrelling  for  preeminence ; 
deep  anxiety  had  taken  hold  on  them  when  they  heard  that 
one  of  them  should  betray  Christ ;  they  had  just  attended  the 
institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  had  listened  to  his  last 
affecting  discourses,  his  last  prayer,  his  repeated  admonitions 
to  watch ;  they  had  been  repeatedly  told  that  they  would  al. 
flee  and  forsake  their  Master  this  very  night,  and  be  offended 
because  of  him ;  Peter  had  heard  that  he  would  betray  him 
three  times  before  morning ;  they  knew  that  this  night  some 
important  and  dismal  prophecies  should  be  fulfilled,  and  that 
Christ  should  be  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  sinners  and  be 
put  to  death ;  they  knew  that  the  traitor  was  gone  already 
to  his  infernal  work ;  and  when  they  came  to  Gethsemane 
they  saw  their  Master's  distress  of  mind,  and  Peter,  John 


CHRIST  IN    GETHSEMANE.  87 

and  James,  heard  his  pressing  entreaty,  "Could  ye  not  watch 
with  ine  one  hour?  "  And  is  it  possible,  we  are  obliged  to 
ask,  that  they  could  sleep?  Was  it  naturally  possible  for 
them,  under  such  circumstances,  to  shut  their  eyes,  and  to 
procure  that  calmness  of  mind  so  indispensable  for  a  night's 
rest,  especially  in  the  open  air  and  on  the  hard  ground  ?  It 
is  a  fact  that  they  did  sleep,  and  that  no  combination  of  the 
most  rousing  and  alarming  circumstances  could  keep  them 
awake. 

No  doubt  it  was  intended  by  a  holy  Providence,  and  was 
one  of  the  burdens  which  Christ  had  to  bear  for  us,  that  he 
suffered  destitute  of  all  human  consolation.  It  does  seem  as 
though  the  disciples  had  been  providentially  given  up  to  the 
most  stupefying  influence  of  this  body  of  clay,  to  disable  them 
to  afford  relief  to  their  Master  when  the  unmingled  cup  of 
suffering  was  to  be  drunk  to  the  bottom. 

Jesus  our  Saviour,  in  this  destitute  and  needy  condition,  is 
an  object  of  the  deepest  interest  and  of  liveliest  gratitude  to 
those  who  know  the  secret  ways  of  God  with  his  children. 
They  know  that  every  particular  sacrifice  and  deprivation  of 
Christ  is  like  a  sown  seed,  from  which  rich  and  waving  har- 
vests of  spiritual  consolation  are  continually  springing  up  to 
the  dear  little  flock  of  his  pasture.  Not  a  prayer,  not  a  sigh, 
not  a  tear  of  his,  but  it  procures  for  them  some  heavenly 
treat;  and  his  fastings  and  deprivations,  his  watchfulness, 
weariness  and  exposures,  are  richly  decking  their  spiritual 
table,  and  draw  the  curtain  of  heavenly  peace  around  the 
defenceless  pillows  of  their  rest!  And  when,  in  the  depth  of 
anguish,  they  feel  the  soothing  influences  of  Christian  tender- 
ness and  sympathy,  and  are  upheld  by  the  wrestling  interces- 
sions of  their  beloved  in  Christ  Jesus, — when  they  are  car- 
ried safely  through  the  trying  hour  of  darkness  and  distress 


88  CHRIST   IN   GETHSEMANE. 

by  the  faithful  prayers  of  their  watchful  friends,  poured  forth 
in  their  hearing  at  the  throne  of  grace, —  ah!  then  they 
remember  with  sweet  and  humble  gratitude  the  forsaken  Jesus 
in  the  garden,  and  a  connection  between  their  spiritual  riches 
and  comforts  and  his  destitution  becomes  clear  all  at  once  to 
their  souls,  of  which  they  had  no  conception,  perhaps,  while 
in  health  of  body  and  in  the  cheerful  vigor  of  heart  and  mind. 
They  rejoice  then  exceedingly,  with  a  joy  full  of  glory,  that 
ever  he  did  procure  such  sweet  comforts  for  their  distressed 
souls  ;  and  they  are  prepared  to  give  him  everlasting  thanks 
for  every  tear  he  dropped  upon  the  accursed  ground  of  this 
world.  Yet  they  are  careful,  too,  to  learn  the  important  les- 
son of  him,  not  to  lean  ultimately  upon  any  created  arm. 
They  learn  of  him,  when  lawful  earthly  consolations  and  sym- 
pathies fail,  to  go  a  little  further,  and,  where  no  man  can  see 
them  or  overhear  their  prayer,  to  fall  on  their  faces,  and  with 
naked  and  unalloyed  faith  and  trust  in  God  to  lean  upon  his 
almighty  arm  alone,  and  to  throw  themselves  with  their  bur- 
den down  at  his  feet,  there  to  live,  or  there  to  die. 

III.  We  now  come  to  our  third  topic,  where  Christ  appears 
in  the  highest  splendor  of  his  glory  ;  that  is,  in  the  free  and 
entire  surrender  of  his  rightful  personal  claims  and  his  lawful 
interests  to  a  higher  end  ;  a  surrender  made  in  voluntary  and 
perfect  obedience  to  his  Father  in  heaven,  while  himself  was 
sinking  into  the  deep  gulf  of  unmitigated  sufferings  ;  unmiti- 
gated, I  say,  because  relief  did  not  come  until  the  close  of 
his  struggle.  And  here  we  have  before  us  the  most  powerful 
and  interesting  illustration  of  the  very  essence  of  that  moral 
law  upon  which  the  divine  government  rests.  : '  Hath  the 
Lord  as  great  delight  in  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  as  in 
obeying  the  voice  of  the  Lord  ?  Behold,  to  obey  is  better 
than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams.     For 


CHRIST    IN    GETIISEMANE.  89 

rebellion  is  as  the  sin  of  witchcraft,  and  stubbornness  is  as 
iniquity  and  idolatry."  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  the 
God  of  Israel ;  put  your  burnt-offerings  unto  your  sacrifices 
and  eat  flesh.  For  I  spake  not  unto  your  fathers,  nor  com- 
manded them  in  the  day  that  I  brought  them  out  of  the  land 
of  Egypt,  concerning  bumt-offerlngs  or  sacrifices  ;  but  this 
commanded  I  them,  saying,  Obey  my  voice,  and  I  will  be 
your  God  and  ye  shall  be  my  people." — Jer.  7  :  21 — 23. 

The  most  free  and  enlarged  sacrifices  of  Christian  love  are 
the  highest  will  and  good  pleasure  of  an  infinitely  benevolent 
God ;  and  he  who  performs  them  most  bountifully  and  con- 
scientiously acts  in  the  most  perfect  conformity  to  the  divine 
nature  and  obedience  to  his  divine  will.  Still,  singular  as 
it  may  appear,  those  sacrifices  cannot  be  commanded  and 
exacted,  since  this  would  be  destroying  their  very  nature  as 
free  and  spontaneous  actions  of  a  benevolent  mind.  0,  that 
we  could  throw  away  far  from  us  that  earth-born  economy 
which  asks,  Is  it  my  duty  to  make  such  or  such  sacrifices  for 
the  perishing  souls  of  men  1  Alas  !  I  wish  it  was  your  inclin- 
ation to  do  it ;  and  duty,  cold  duty,  would  take  good  care  of 
itself.  But,  if  you  must  needs  ask  about  duty,  do  not,  I  pray, 
bring  forward  the  unhallowed  stone  and  the  deceitful  balance 
of  human  prudence.  Take  the  balance  of  the  sanctuary ; 
come  here  to  dark  Gethsemane  ;  kneel  down  near  your  Sav- 
iour on  the  ground  ;  listen  to  his  prayers,  his  groans  ;  mark 
the  workings  of  his  torn  breast ;  witness  the  noblest  of  all 
conquests,  the  freest,  greatest  of  all  sacrifices ;  drink  in  his 
spirit ;  and  then,  then  weigh  your  duty,  and  do  it.  But  I 
know,  before  you  have  taken  hold  of  the  scales,  his  spirit  has 
carried  you  away ;  the  sacrifice  which  has  caused  your  anx- 
ious and  unremitted  inquiries  concerning  duty  is  made,  and 
has  already  become  the  source  of  high  delight  and  profit  to 
8* 


90  CHRIST  IN   GETHSEMANE. 

yourself.  —  "  And  he  went  a  little  further,  about  a  stone's 
cast,  and  fell  on  his  face  and  prayed,  saying,  0,  my  Father, 
if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me ;  nevertheless,  not 
as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt."  "  And  he  went  away  again  the 
second  time,  and  prayed,  saying,  0,  my  Father,  if  this  cup 
may  not  pass  away  from  me,  except  I  drink  it,  thy  will  be 
done  !  "  "  And  he  left  them  and  went  away  again  and  prayed 
the  third  time,  saying  the  same  words." 

Shall  I  spoil  and  darken  and  tarnish  the  moral  beauty  of 
this  quotation,  by  explanatory  and  commendatory  remarks,  to 
make  it  intelligible  to  some  of  my  hearers,  whose  spiritual 
sense  may  as  yet  be  dead  ?  As  well  might  the  earth  send  up 
smoke  and  clouds  to  polish  the  sun  and  the  moon  and  the 
stars,  that  the  sightless  eye-ball  might  be  blest  with  the 
glories  of  the  firmament.  No !  Let  those  comment  upon 
such  a  passage  who  never  understood,  who  never  felt  its 
awful  solemnity. 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  who  know  by  happy  experience 
the  realities  of  that  glorious  world  to  which  you  are  travelling, 
—  you,  who  have  a  living  impression  of  the  nature  of  holiness, 
and  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  his  ways  and  workings  in 
man, —  tell  me,  do  you  have  an  ideal  of  perfection  among  your 
loftiest  moral  conceptions  of  whose  heavenly  birth  you  are 
most  satisfied?  do  you  have  among  your  loftiest  conceptions 
an  ideal  of  holiness  reaching  beyond  the  one  now  before  you  ? 
Such  obedience,  exercised  by  such  a  personage,  under  such 
circumstances,  with  such  immediate  prospects,  for  such  a 
purpose, —  can  your  imagination  stretch  beyond  it  ?  Do  you 
not  feel  now  like  replying,  ' '  And  we  beheld  his  glory,  the 
glory  as  of  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and 
truth"?  Is  it  not  the  image  of  the  invisible  God?  Ay! 
It  is  too  holy  to  have  originated  anywhere  but  in  heaven.     It 


CHRIST   IN    GETHSEMANE.  91 

flows  down  in  streams  with  the  tender  mercies  of  God.  Well, 
Christ  hath  left  us  an  example,  that  we  should  follow  his 
footsteps.  To  him  it  was  a  hard  task  to  obey,  for  he  was  left 
alone.  To  us  it  will  be  a  delightful  one,  through  his  gracious 
presence  and  help,  provided  we  do  not  make  delight  and  com- 
fort the  condition  of  our  obedience  and  submission.  ' '  Obey 
my  voice,  saith  Jehovah,  and  I  will  be  your  God,  and  ye 
shall  be  my  people." 

IV.  When  the  anguish  of  the  Saviour  had  reached  the 
highest  pitch  sustainable  by  a  human  frame,  then  the  heavens 
opened,  and  an  angel  descended  to  strengthen  him.  It  might, 
perhaps,  appear  to  some  that  not  consolation,  but  merely 
supernatural  strength  to  continue  and  sustain  the  contest,  was 
sent.  (Compare  Luke  22:  43,  44.)  This  may  have  been 
true.  Still,  after  the  last  summons  of  Christ  to  his  disciples, 
to  awake  and  prepare  for  the  enemy's  approach,  when  Judas 
and  his  band  drew  near,  we  find  Christ  collected  and  calm  in 
his  mind,  and  clothed  with  a  dignity  so  superior  to  human  as 
to  prostrate  the  rude  hirelings  of  the  High  Priest  to  the 
ground.  Hence,  I  infer  that  the  strength  sent  to  him  from 
above  included  comfort  of  mind,  consciousness  of  his  char- 
acter, assurance  of  his  ultimate  success,  and  whatsoever  was 
needed  to  prepare  him  for  his  last  hours,  so  as  to  enable  him 
in  one  holy  and  decisive  encounter  to  foil  the  malicious  com- 
bination of  incarnate  devils  on  earth,  and  the  crowning  effort 
of  Satan's  subtilty  and  strength,  whose  hour  and  power  was 
low  fast  drawing  near. 

So  the  twenty-second  and  the  sixty-ninth  Psalms,  and  the 
fifty- third  chapter  of  Isaiah,  as  they  paint  the  sufferings  of  the 
Messiah,  throw  character  and  dignity  around  his  sacred  person, 
and  crown  him  with  victory  at  last.  No  profane  eye  ought 
to  have  seen  him  in  that  disconsolate  condition ;  and  none  did 


92  CHRIST   IN   GETHSEMANE. 

see  him  in  it.  Before  the  infernal  band  draws  near,  God  has 
comforted  his  suffering  child ;  and  there  he  stands,  with  the 
meek  and  gentle  majesty  of  a  superior  being,  dressed  in  the 
formidable  armor  of  holiness,  with  that  calm  greatness  of 
heavenly  love  beaming  from  his  eyes  which  remains  the  con- 
quering queen  of  hearts,  and  forces  veneration  and  worship 
from  the  wickedest  wretch,  even  when  herself  under  the  heel 
of  brute  force.  The  black  cloud,  the  roaring  thunder,  the 
lightning  and  the  hail,  the  howling  storm,  are  past,  and  the 
blue  heavens  of  the  divine  favor,  and  the  shining  countenance 
of  his  Father's  love,  smile  again.  '  And,  0  !  what  could  he 
wish  for  more  1  what  peril,  what  fate  could  he  not  meet,  under 
his  heavenly  Father's  approving  smiles  ? 

Blessed  be  God,  whose  government  beams  with  wisdom, 
justice  and  love  !  "  The  king  shall  joy  in  thy  strength,  0 
Lord,  and  in  thy  salvation  shall  he  greatly  rejoice !  Thou 
hast  given  him  his  hearf  s  desire,  and  hast  not  withholden 
the  request  of  his  lips.  Selah.  He  asked  life  of  thee,  and 
thou  givest  it  him,  even  length  of  days  forevermore."  But 
not  only  love  to  his  dear,  only-begotten  Son  prompted  him  to 
send  his  messenger  of  consolation  to  Gethsemane ;  love  to  a 
perishing  world  was  another  motive,  and  I  may  well  say  here 
it  was  the  grand  one,  for  which  may  eternal  glory  surround 
his  blessed  throne !  After  all,  my  brethren,  he  knew  his 
dear,  holy  child  must  expire  under  the  burden  of  our  sins. 
"  Without  the  shedding  of  blood,  there  is  no  forgiveness  "  for 
sinners.  His  son  Jesus  must  die,  whether  on  the  cold,  damp 
ground  of  Gethsemane,  or  on  the  accursed  tree  on  Golgotha ; 
—  after  all,  what  difference,  what  choice,  was  there  between 
these  two  alternatives?  And  as  for  Jesus,  if  he  was  willing 
to  become  obedient  even  unto  the  death  of  the  cross,  surely 
he  would  have  been  willing  also  to  become  obedient  unto 


CHRIST   IN   GETHSEMANE. 


93 


a  death  upon  the  ground.  But  in  that  law,  which  will 
stand  when  heaven  and  earth  shall  have  passed  away,  it 
is  written,  "Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in 
all  things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do 
them;"  and  again  it  is  written,  "Cursed  is  everyone  that 
hangeth  on  a  tree."  Christ-  must  die  on  the  cross,  on 
the  accursed  tree ;  the  antitype  of  the  brazen  serpent 
must  be  raised  high  to  sprinkle  kings  and  nations  with 
his  blood,  and  pour  down  healing  and  eternal  life  upon  a 
guilty  world.  Amen,  and  amen,  our  inmost  souls  reply  !  Go 
on,  go  on,  thou  Friend  of  dying  sinners !  Complete  the 
blessed  work  begun  that  our  souls  may  live.  God  speed  thee, 
0,  thou  conqueror  over  death  and  hell !  Break,  by  thy 
powerful  and  victorious  cross,  the  strong  bars  of  our  eternal 
prison  !  Then  ride  forth  and  prosper,  and  our  souls  shall 
follow  hard  after  thee  ;  and  while  we  have  a  breath  to  draw, 
if  we  are  here  below,  we  will  profess  and  proclaim  thy  love 
and  thy  name  before  the  world ;  if  we  are  in  heaven  above, 
we  will  sing  songs  of  'immortal  gratitude  and  praise  to  thee, 
till  eternity  shall  be  no  more  !     Amen. 


CAPTURE,    ARRAIGNMENT   AND    CONDEMNATION    OF 
CHRIST. 

And  immediately >  "while  he  yet  spake,  cometh  Judas,  one  of  the  twelve, 
and  with  him  a  great  multitude  with  swords  and  staves,  from  the  Chief 
Priests,  and  Scribes,  and  the  Elders. 

And  straightway  in  the  morning  the  Chief  Priests  held  a  consultation 
with  the  Elders  and  Scribes  and  the  whole  council,  and  bound  Jesus,  and 
carried  him  away,  and  delivered  him  to  Pilate.  And  Pilate  asked  him, 
Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews  ?  And  he  answering,  said  unto  him,  Thou 
sayest  it.  And  the  Chief  Priests  accused  him  of  many  things  ;  but  he 
answered  nothing.  And  Pilate  asked  him  again,  saying,  Answerest  thou 
nothing  ?  behold  how  many  things  they  witness  against  thee.  But  Jesus 
yet  answered  nothing  ;  so  that  Pilate  marvelled.  Now  at  that  feast  he 
released  unto  them  one  prisoner,  whomsoever  they  desired.  And  there  was 
one  named  Barabbas,  which  lay  bound  with  them  that  had  made  insurrec- 
tion with  him,  who  had  committed  murder  in  the  insurrection.  And  the 
multitude,  crying  aloud,  began  to  desire  him  to  do  as  he  had  ever  done 
unto  them.  But  Pilate  answered  them,  saying,  Will  ye  that  I  release  unto 
you  the  King  of  the  Jews  ?  For  he  knew  that  the  Chief  Priests  had  deliv- 
ered him  for  envy.  But  the  Chief  Priests  moved  the  people,  that  he 
should  rather  release  Barabbas  unto  them.  And  Pilate  answered  and  said 
again  unto  them,  What  will  ye,  then,  that  I  shall  do  unto  him  whom  ye  call 
the  King  of  the  Jews  ?  And  they  cried  out  again,  Crucify  him.  Then 
Pilate  said  unto  them,  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done  ?  And  they  cried  out 
the  more  exceedingly,  Crucify  him.  And  so  Pilate,  willing  to  content  the 
people,  released  Barabbas  unto  them,  and  delivered  Jesus,  when  he  had 
scourged  him,  to  be  crucified.  And  the  soldiers  led  him  away  into  the 
hall  called  Pretorium  ;  and  they  called  together  the  whole  band.  And 
they  clothed  him  with  purple,  and  platted  a  crown  of  thorns,  and  put  it 


CONDEMNATION    OJ?   CHRIST.  95 

about  his  head,  and  began  to  salute  him,  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews  !  And 
they  smote  hiin  on  the  head  with  a  reed,  and  did  spit  upon  him,  and  bow 
ing  their  knees,  worshipped  him.  And  when  they  had  mocked  him,  they 
took  off  the  purple  from  him,  and  put  his  own  clothes  on  him,  and  led  him 
out  to  crucify  him. —  Mark  14  :  43  to  15  :  20.  Compare  Matthew  26  : 
47  to  27  :  31  ;  Luke  22  :  47  to  23  :  25  ;  John  18 :  3  to  19  :  16. 

We  now  come  to  the  history  of  the  capture,  arraignment 
and  condemnation,  of  our  Lord.  The  passages  of  Holy  Writ 
which  I  have  read  contain  the  account  of  that  event  as 
related  in  the  Evangelist  St.  Mark.  The  proper  text  for  this 
discourse  would  again  have  been  a  harmony  of  the  four 
Evangelists  on  the  subject  in  hand ;  or  you  might  have 
expected,  at  least,  that,  as  I  have  done  heretofore,  I  should 
now  also  supply  the  deficiency  of  the  Evangelist  from  whom 
I  have  borrowed  my  text  by  the  additional  information  with 
which  the  other  three  Evangelists  favor  us,  and  then  arrange 
the  subject  of  our  Meditation  under  distinct  heads,  and  pro 
ceed  to  my  remarks.  This,  however,  cannot  be  done,  in  the 
present  instance.  This  part  of  our  Lord's  history  is  so 
closely  connected,  that  it  seems  to  be  incapable  of  any  divi- 
sion which  would  not  much  rather  deserve  the  name  of 
laceration,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  of  such  a  length, 
and  in  various  places  seemingly  so  discrepant,  that  a  harmony 
of  the  four  Evangelists,  and  an  exhibition  of  the  event  as  it 
results  from  their  joint  testimony,  must  needs  occupy  near 
the  length  of ,  a  whole  discourse,  although  the  most  rigid 
economy  of  time  and  the  greatest  conciseness  of  style  be 
united  to  keep  it  within  the  narrowest  possible  bounds. 

Yielding  to  these  circumstances,  I  resolved  at  last  to  devote 
the  whole  of  the  present  discourse  to  the  plain  exhibition  of 
our  story,  permitting  myself  only  such  explanatory  remarks 
as  may  serve  to  give  it  all  the  fulness  to  which  our  sources 

■-——-— 


96  CAPTURE,  ARRAIGNMENT  AND 

attain ;  in  which  remarks,  however,  I  shall  the  more  willingly 
indulge  (and  be  indulged  in  by  my  hearers  also,  I  hope), 
that  we  may  have  the  more  spiritual  improvement  as  we  go 
along.  And  if,  at  the  close  of  this  Meditation,  it  shall  appear 
to  us  that  our  suffering  Lord,  in  his  crown  of  thorns  on  his 
bleeding  head,  in  his  purple  robe  thrown  over  his  lacerated 
breast  and  shoulders,  is  a  subject  on  which  our  hearts  would 
delight  to  dwell  still  further ;  and  if  I  can  obtain  some  assur- 
ance that  divine  aid  will  be  still  vouchsafed  to  me  in  meditat- 
ing upon  this  delightful  theme,  I  shall,  if  I  live  and  the  Lord 
please,  make  Him  the  exclusive  subject  of  our  next  Medita- 
tion, and  then  dismiss  the  theme  upon  which  we  are  now 
entering. 

While  Jesus  made  his  last  effort  to  rouse  his  disciples  to 
watchfulness  and  prayer,  Judas  and  his  band  entered  the  gate 
of  the  farm,  and  proceeded,  as  it  seems,  directly  to  the  place 
where  Christ  and  his  disciples  used  to  rest.  The  band  con- 
sisted of  a  number  of  Roman  soldiers,  and  a  great  multitude 
(Matthew  26 :  47 ;  Mark  14)  of  officers,  or  servants  (John 
18 :  3)  from  the  High  Priests  and  the  elders  of  the  people. 
They  had  "  lanterns  and  torches  "  (John),  which  shows  that 
the  night  was  a  dark  one  (John  13  :  30),  though  the  moon 
was  now  at  the  full.  They  were  armed  with  "  swords  and 
staves  "  (Matthew  and  Mark),  to  be  ready  for  a  violent  onset 
in  case  resistance  should  be  offered.  To  prevent  all  mistakes, 
and  to  give  more  efficiency  to  the  great  expedition,  some  of 
the  Chief  Priests  (that  is,  some  who  had  been  such  in  times 
past)  and  some  of  the  captains  of  the  temple  came  with  them. 
(Luke  22 :  52.)  The  Roman  soldiery,  however,  were  the 
proper  executors  in  this  case ;  and  as  they,  of  course,  had  no 
personal  acquaintance  with  Christ,  and  probably  never  saw 
him  before,  it  was  necessary  that  the  person  to  be  apprehended 


CONDEMNATION   OF   CHRIST.  97 

should  be  pointed  out  to  them  on  the  spot ;  a  caution  which 
the  darkness  of  the  night  rendered  still  more  necessary. 
Judas,  who  marched  at  the  head  of  the  band,  and  who  was 
the  pilot  of  the  whole  enterprise,  showed  himself  forward  to 
do  what,  indeed,  he  was  most  fit  for,  and  to  mark  to  them 
their  victim  by  a  kiss,  which  was  then  the  highest  mark  of 
friendship  and  pious  affection,  as  various  passages  in  Paul's 
writings  clearly  show.  Against  most  critics,  I  assume  that 
the  soldiers  were  Romans ;  not  only  because  they  evidently 
did  not  know  Christ,  while  the  servants  or  guard  of  the  tem- 
ple must  have  known  him ;  but  also  because  they  are  called 
one  qu  band  (John  18  :  3),  which  always  marks  the  Roman 
soldiery  in  the  New  Testament ;  because  (John  18  :  12)  they 
have  a  /*A*a#*>«,  or  captain  over  a  thousand,  also  an  expres- 
sion never  applied  to  the  captains  (organy/of)  of  the  temple ; 
because,  in  the  same  verse,  the  band  and  its  captain  over  a 
thousand  are  distinguished  from  the  servants  of  the  Jews ; 
because  (according  to  Luke  22 :  52)  there  were  several 
captains  of  the  temple  on  the  spot,  wThile  only  one  captain 
over  a  thousand  was  present ;  again,  because  Christ,  coming  to 
his  disciples  the  last  time  after  he  arose  from  prayer,  says, 
"  The  Son  of  Man  is  (about  to  be)  betrayed  into  the  hands 
of  sinners,"  or  heathen  (compare  Matthew  20  :  19  and  the 
parallel  passages)  :  and  finally,  because  the  High  Priests 
evidently  wished  to  do  all  they  could  to  secure  their  victim, 
while  the  Roman  governor  would  naturally  assist  them  in  the 
prosecution  of  persons  designated  by  them  as  dangerous. 
Instances  where  the  heads  of  religious  sects  prosecute  their 
enting  church-members  by  means  of  a  secular  power,  whose 
religious  sentiments  are  equally  against  either  party,  are  still 
so  numerous  in  these  countries,  that  wre  need  not  go  very  far 
to  illustrate,  to  a  most  surpassing  degree  of  satisfaction,  the 
9 


*. 


98  CAPTURE,  ARRAIGNMENT  AND 

proceedings  of  the  High  Priests  and  elders  in  the  present 
instance. 

Our  Lord,  knowing  that  his  enemies  are  at  hand,  does  not 
await  their  full  approach  ;  but,  leaving  his  disciples,  meets  at 
a  small  distance  the  band,  who  may  have  been  looking  this 
way  and  that  way  among  the  trees,  lest,  having  perceived 
their  approach,  our  Lord  should  make  his  escape.  Calm,  and 
with  becoming  dignity,  he  asks  them,  Whom  seek  ye  ?  Some 
of  the  Jews,  probably  not  distinguishing  him  at  the  moment, 
answer,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth.*'  "Jesus  saith  unto  them,  / 
am  he"  And  Judas  also,  which  betrayed  him,  stood  with 
them ;  but  he  stands  aghast,  as  it  seems,  not  able  to  gather 
up  courage  that  moment  to  fulfil  his  iniquitous  engagements. 
"As  soon,  then,  as  he  had  said  unto  them,  I  am  he,  they 
went  backward  and  fell  to  the  ground."    (John  18  :  6.) 

There  was  certainly  nothing. terrifying  in  the  words  of  our 
Lord.  How,  then,  was  the  "great  multitude,"  as  Matthew 
calls  them,  all  at  once  prostrated  1  After  all  the  attempts  to 
explain  away  the  force  of  this  passage,  the  only  reasonable 
answer  remains  this :  they  wrere  prostrated  by  the  divine  dig- 
nity of  the  Saviour's  word  and  appearance,  under  whose 
tremendous  weight,  if  unveiled,  no  created  being  would  have 
been  able  to  stand  up.  It  was  a  ray  of  the  inaccessible 
light  of  supreme  power  and  majesty,  which  shot  through 
these  miserable  wrorms  of  the  dust.  Christ,  speaking  to  the 
Jews,  probably  spoke  Hebrew  to  them.  The  only  words  he 
could  use  in  the  present  instance  are,  "  I  am  he."  But  this 
expression  had  already  acquired  a  deep  and  sacred  meaning, 
by  the  manner  in  which  it  is  used  several  times  in  the  Old 
Testament.  A  few  examples  will  be  in  place  here.  Isaiah 
41  :  4, —  "  I  am  Jehovah,  the  first  and  the  last  —  I  am  he;" 
chap.  43:   13, —  "Yea,   before   the  day  was"   (or,  better, 


*h 


CONDEMNATION   OF   CHRIST.  99 

before  there  was  any  day)  "I  am  he,  and  there  is  none 
that  can  deliver  out  of  my  hand.  I  will  work  and  who  shall 
let  it  1 "  and  chap.  48  :  12, —  "  Hearken  unto  me,  0  Jacob, 
and  Israel,  my  called ;  I  am  he ;  I  am  the  first,  I  also  am 
the  last."  Pronounced  with  emphasis,  then,  the  expression 
must  have  been  in  the  highest  degree  awful  and  imposing  to 
a  Jew.  And  what  makes  me  think  that  our  Lord  did  utter 
it  with  emphasis  is,  that  he  had  already  done  so  on  some  for- 
mer occasions.  (John  8:  58.)  "Jesus  said  unto  them 
(the  Jews),  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  before  Abraham 
was,  I  am.  Then  took  they  up  stones  to  cast  at  him," —  well 
aware  that  this  was  saying  more  than  a  mere  man  ought  to 
say  of  himself.  Had  he  been  a  mere  man,  it  would  have 
been  blasphemy.  And  the  same  is  probably  also  true  in 
reference  to  verse  24, —  "If  ye  believe  not  that  I  am  he,  ye 
shall  die  in  your  sins."  Struck  through  with  awe,  High 
Priests,  servants,  temple  soldiers,  and  the  band,  start  back 
and  fall  to  the  ground.  Nor  did  they  rise  again  without  his 
permission,  which,  however,  he  readily  gave.  For  he  now 
veils  again  the  terrors  of  his  glory ;  he  asks  them  once  more, 
but  in  tempered  accents,  Whom  seek  ye  1  And  when  they 
make  out  to  answer  again  as  before,  he  rejoins,  "  I  have  told 
you  that  I  am  he  (probably  now  omitting  the  emphasis)  ;  if, 
therefore,  ye  seek  me,  let  these  (pointing  at  his  disciples)  go 
their  way."  This  containing  a  tacit  permission  to  the  band 
and  the  Jews  to  take  him,  they  rise  from  the  ground,  prob- 
bly  some  smiling,  some  angry,  at  their  superstitious  fears,  as 
ey  thought  them  to  be,  just  as  the  ungodly  worldling 
always  does  when  the  solemn  time  of  divine  visitation  and 
rebuke  is  over.  Judas,  too,  now  gets  over  his  fears,  which 
at  first  seemed  to  check  him,  and,  true  to  his  father,  the  devil, 
even  where  it  was  no  more  necessary  (for  Christ  had  made 


100  CAPTURE,  ARRAIGNMENT  AND 

himself  known),  he  lays  hold  of  our  Lord,  and.  kissing  him, 
exclaims,  "Hail,  Master!"  "Then  they  laid  their  hands 
on  him,  and  took  him,"  "and  bound  him,"  as  John  adds. 
Some  of  the  disciples  ask  Christ  whether  they  ought  to  offer 
resistance.  Peter,  without  waiting  for  an  answer,  and  to 
show  some  of  his  promised  courage,  cuts  off  the  ear  of  the 
High  Priest's  servant ;  which  deed  Christ  disapproves,  and, 
healing  instantly  the  servant,  merely  remarks  to  the  High 
Priests,  the  captains  of  the  temple,  and  the  elders,  "Be  ye 
come  out  as  against  a  thief,  with  swords  and  staves?  "  (Luke 
22:  52.)  "When  I  was  daily  with  you  in  the  temple,  ye 
stretched  forth  no  hands  against  me ;  but  this  is  your  hour 
and  the  power  of  darkness."  (Matt.  26  :  56.)  "  But  all  this 
was  done  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  prophets  might  be  ful- 
filled. Then  all  his  disciples  forsook  him,  and  fled;  "  prob- 
ably terrified  by  some,  who  attempted  taking  vengeance  on 
them  for  the  suggestion  of  resisting  by  force,  and  the  deed  of 
Peter.  Christ  being  bound,  and  the  disciples  having  escaped, 
the  company  returns  without  delay.  (Mark  14:  51.)  "A 
young  man,"  probably  belonging  to  the  people  on  the  farm, 
endeavors  to  follow  Christ ;  but,  being  violently  seized  by  the 
band,  leaves  his  garments  in  their -hands,  and  flees.  Peter 
and  John  (John  18  :  15)  soon  return  from  their  flight,  and 
follow  the  procession  at  a  distance. 

The  first  house  at  which  they  called  was  that  of  Annas. 
Annas  had  been  High  Priest  a  short  time  ago,  but  was 
deposed  by  Valerius,  and  his  son-in-law,  Caiaphas,  occupied 
the  station  now.  The  reason  of  their  stopping  at  this  house 
was  probably  this.  Annas  was  an  old  man,  who  did  not  wish 
to  go  to  the  council  at  so  late  an  hour,  unless  he  was  sure 
that  Christ  was  there ;  and,  as  his  house  was  probably  so  sit- 
uated that  the  company  had  to  pass  by  him,  in  proceeding  to 


CONDEMNATION   OF   CHRIST.  101 

Caiaphas,  he  may  have  requested  the  leaders  of  the  band  to 
call  in  passing,  that  he  might  follow  the  procession  to  the 
house  of  his  son-in-law,  where  the  council  was  assembled. 

The  larger  houses  in  Jerusalem  used  to  form  a  square 
enclosing  a  yard  of  the  same  shape,  in  which  guests  were 
often  received,  especially  when  numerous,  and  when  public 
business  was  transacted.  Into  this  yard  of  Caiaphas'  house 
the  band  entered,  and  it  was  there  where  the  Sanhedrim  had 
convened  at  this  time ;  for,  to  go  to  the  temple,  where  a  large 
room  was  appropriated  for  such  conventions,  was  probably 
considered  improper  at  this  hour. 

John,  who  seems  to  have  enjoyed  the  favor  of  the  High 
Priest,  although  he  followed  Christ,  entered  soon  after,  and 
procured  permission  for  Peter  to  enter  likewise. .  That  the 
High  Priest  should  have  been  so  indulgent  with  John,  may 
have  been  owing  to  his  youth,  or  to  relationship,  or  to  the 
frequent  gifts  which  the  old,  wealthy  and  devoted  Zebedee 
used  to  send  from  his  net  to  the  kitchen  and  table  of  his  holi- 
ness, or  to  many  other  circumstances  which  we  cannot  now 
divine.  Somewhat  near  to  the  door,  the  servants  had  kindled 
a  fire,  to  warm  themselves.  To  this  fire  Peter  resorted, 
probably  to  hide  himself  among  the  crowd,  in  order  to  escape 
public  notice  ;  while  John  seems  to  have  been  sitting  or  stand- 
ing solitary  at  a  short  distance,  that  the  noise  and  idle  talk  of 
the  soldiers  and  servants  might  not  hinder  him  from  listening 
to  the  proceedings  of  the  council.  These  proceedings  were 
indeed  absorbingly  interesting  in  various  respects ;  and  we 
will  ourselves  turn  our  attention  to  them,  without  delay. 

The  whole  Sanhedrim,  and  no  small  number  of  other  indi- 
viduals, all  enemies  of  Christ,  were  present ;  and  Christ  stood 
before  them  bound,  and  ready  for  the  trial.     The  regular 

Kethod,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses  and  their  own  tradi- 


102 


tions,  would  have  been  to  bring  forward  and  examine  the 
witnesses  against  him.  There  was,  however,  a  difficulty 
of  no  small  consequence  in  the  way  of  doing  so.  They  had 
no  witnesses  to  examine,  and  no  crime  to  charge  him 
with  ;  and  Caiaphas  must  have  been  at  a  loss,  indeed,  how  to 
open  the  examination.  Hence,  to  extricate  himself,  if  possible, 
and  perhaps  with  a  hope  to  catch  something  out  of  our  Lord's 
own  mouth  (John  18 :  19)  which  might  be  turned  against 
him,  the  High  Priest  begins  by  asking  Christ  himself  "  of  his 
disciples  and  of  his  doctrine."  This  was  a  proceeding  in 
various  respects  objectionable.  It  was  against  all  principles 
of  equity  and  good  sense,  which  never  require  a  man  to  crim- 
inate himself;  it  was  against  the  law  of  Moses,  and  against 
their  own  acknowledged  tradition ;  and,  what  is  more  than  all 
this,  it  reflected  upon  the  character  of  Christ,  intimating  that 
he  might  have  secret  machinations  and  plans  to  reveal  and  to 
confess, —  a  miserable  and  iniquitous  contrivance  to  cover  the 
dishonorable  fact  that  they  had  not  whereof  to  accuse  him  in 
any  lawful  way.  The  reflection  contained  in  the  address  was 
the  chief  thing  which  drew  forth  the  meekly  defensive  but 
energetic  answer  of  our  Lord.  To  suffer  wrong  he  was  come, 
and  he  was  willing  to  suffer  it  and  did  so ;  but  reflections 
upon  his  character,  which  was  to  become  the  foundation  of  all 
saving  faith  through  all  generations  to  come,  he  was  not  called 
to  tolerate, —  he  never  did  and  never  will  tolerate  them. 
Nor  was  it  a  hard  matter  to  clear  it.  He  had  taught  among 
them  full  three  years  publicly  before  them  and  all  the  people, 
and  there  were  men  enough  present  who  had  heard  and  dis- 
puted with  him  on  all  the  great  topics  of  biblical  and  rabbinic 
learning,  and  controversy,  and  doubt ;  they  were  both  able 
and  willing  to  testify  against  him,  had  they  known  what  to 
say.     Why  did  none  of  these  sanctimonious  zealots  open  his 


CONDEMNATION    OF   CHRIST.  103 

mouth  and  accuse  him  boldly  now,  when"  there  was  the  most 
perfect  security  and  a  lawful  opportunity  to  do  so  ?  A  firm 
answer  was  absolutely  called  for  here,  and  it  was  given. 
(John  18  :  20,  21.)  "  Jesus  answered  him,  I  spake  openly 
before  the  world ;  I  ever  taught  in  the  synagogue  and  in  the 
temple,  whither  the  Jews  always  resort ;  and  in  secret  I  have 
said  nothing.  Why  askest  thou  me  1  ask  them,  which  heard 
me,  what  I  have  said  unto  them ;  behold,  they  know  what  I 
said." 

By  this  reply  the  mouth  of  the  Sanhedrim  is  stopped  ;  but 
an  officious  servant,  violating  both  divine  and  human  laws, 
smites  Christ  in  his  face  in  the  'presence  of  a  civil  and  eccle- 
siastical board,  adding  to  this  rude  insult  the  inconsistent 
charge  of  irreverence  towards  the  High  Priest ;  which  new 
reflection  upon  his  character  and  conduct  our  Lord  repels  for 
the  same  reason,  and  with  the  same  meekness  and  firmness,  as 
before.  "  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the  evil 
(prove  it)  ;  but  if  well,  why  smitest  thou  me?  "  The  artful 
contrivance  to  make  our  Lord  criminate  himself  having  failed, 
false  testimony  is  resorted  to.  But  in  the  council  of  the 
Most  High  it  was  decided  that  the  character  of  his  Son  should 
remain  even  without  the  shadow  of  a  blemish,  and  the  syna- 
gogue of  Satan  without  the  shadow  of  an  excuse.  To  render 
the  testimony  of  two  witnesses  valid,  they  must  be  separated, 
else  their  testimony  is  not  a  testimony,  but  a  plot ;  though  it 
is  by  no  means  certain  that  this  was  done  in  the  present 
instance.  However  this  may  be,  God  divided  their  tongues ; 
their  testimony  was  discordant,  whilst  its  falsehood  was,  even 
aside  from  the  disagreement  of  the  witnesses,  as  clear  as 
noon-day.  (Matt.  26:  59,  60.)  "  Now  the  chief  priests 
and  elders,  and  all  the  council,  sought  false  witness  against 
Jesus,  to  put  him  to  death,  but  found  none;  yea,  though 


104  CAPTURE,  ARRAIGNMENT,  AND 

many  false  witnesses  came,  yet  found  they  none  (that  agreed). 
At  last  came  two  false  witnesses,  and  said,  This  fellow  said, 
I  am  able  to  destroy  the  temple  of  God,  and  to  build  it  in 
three  days."  So  Matthew:  — Mark,  probably  giving  us  the 
testimony  of  the  other  witness  in  question,  makes  the  testi- 
mony run  thus  (Mark  14  :  58)  :  "  We  have  heard  him  say, 
I  will  destroy  this  temple  that  is  made  with  hands,  and  within 
three  days  I  will  build  another  made  without  hands:  —  but 
neither  so  did  their  witnesses  agree  together,"  the  Evangelist 
adds.  Now,  had  these  charges  been  both  harmonious  and 
true,  no  sentence  of  death  could  lawfully  have  been  passed 
upon  Christ  on  their  account ;  for  they  are  mere  charges  of 
boasting,  and  are  evidently  allegorical ;  though,  as  they  were, 
they  gave  each  other  openly  the  lie,  and  were  barefaced  per- 
versions of  John  2 :  19,  where  our  Lord  speaks  of  his  own 
body  under  the  metaphor  of  the  temple.  "  Destroy  this 
temple,"  he  says  to  the  Jews  there,  meaning  his  body,  "  and 
in  three  days  I  will  raise  it  up."  Nor  did  the  infuriated 
Sanhedrim  dare  to  build  any  verdict  upon  these  accusations, 
and  the  High  Priest  was  brought  again  to  the  dire  necessity 
of  addressing  another  senseless  and  perfectly  uncalled-for 
question  to  the  innocent  and  defenceless  victim  of  their  rage. 
Rising  up,  in  the  anguish  of  his  soul,  in  the  midst  of  the 
council,  he  asked  Jesus,  saying:  "  Answerest  thou  nothing? 
What  is  it  which  these  witness  against  thee?" — as  though 
mighty  accusations  had  been  brought  forward,  and  there  was 
now  occasion  for  refutation  and  vigorous  defence.  The  answer 
which  our  Lord  gave  him  was,  indeed,  the  most  powerful  one 
which  the  circumstances  admitted  of.  (Matthew  26 :  63.) 
''  But  Jesus  held  his  peace."  The  import  of  this  significant 
silence  was  plain,  and  it  was  confounding  and  mighty.  What 
need  is  there  (for  this  is  the  meaning  of  it)  of  my  replying  to 


CONDEMNATION   OF   CHRIST.  105 

these  open,  self-contradictory  lies,  which  even  you  cannot  and 
do  not  believe,  nor  dare  to  sentence  me  on  their  account? 
(Mark  14  :  61.)  "JBut  he  held  his  peace,  and  answered 
nothing." 

Now  the  Sanhedrim  was  in  great  straits.  All  the  night  had 
been  spent  in  examining  false  witnesses  to  no  purpose,  and  an 
evil  fate  seemed  to  confound  and  subvert  every  artful  contriv- 
ance of  the  seventy  wise  men  of  Jerusalem,  and  of  all  their 
hirelings  and  satellites.  Already  the  morning  began  to 
dawn ;  those  members  of  the  Sanhedrim  and  other  influential 
men  who  had  remained  at  home  during  the  night  were  now 
gathering  in  fast ;  the  matter  must  be  brought  to  the  issue 
(compare  Luke  22 :  66)  ;  the  unwelcome  sun,  with  hastening 
steps,  pressed  hard  upon  them.  The  latest  time  to  finish  the 
hard  task  was  at  hand ;  and  yet  the  detested,  feared,  hated 
young  Rabbi  stood  still  in  the  midst  of  them,  alone,  with  his 
hands  bound,  defenceless  and  meek,  but  firm,  inculpable, 
unconvicted,  unconquered,  unconquerable ;  and  their  cause 
was  more  desperate  than  when  they  set  out.  They  ask  him, 
"  Art  thou  the  Christ  ?  tell  us."  He  replies,  "  You  are  fully 
settled  in  your  unbelief  as  to  that  question.  If  I  should  say 
yes,  you  are  conscious  yourselves  that  you  have  no  intention 
either  to  believe  my  word  or  to  release  me.  Why,  then,  ask 
so  idle  a  question?  "  (Luke  22  :  67,  68.)  Thus  they  were 
disappointed  again.  There  they  were,  sitting  about,  silent, 
with  exhausted  heads  and  blushing  countenances,  put  to  flight 
by  the  innocence  of  their  defendant,  and  fairly  at  their  wits' 
end.  Then  the  High  Priest,  cutting  his  way  through  right 
and  wrong  to  the  blood  and-  murder  of  that  man  against  whom 
neither  true  nor  false  witness  would  avail,  said  unto  Jesus 
(Matthew  26 :  63),  "  I  adjure  thee,"  that  is,  I  cause  thee  to 
swear,  "by  the  living  God;"  "tell  us  whether  thou  be  the 


106 


Christ,  the  Son  of  God?  "  This  form,  added  to  a  proposed 
question,  put  the  person  to  whom  it  was  addressed  under 
obligation  to  reply  under  the  most  solemn  oath,  if  he  answered 
at  all.  Christ  did  answer  —  and  what  1  (Matthew  26  :  64), 
"Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Thou  hast  said," — that  is,  it  is  so, 
I  am  he.  "  Moreover,  I  say  unto  you,  hereafter  shall  ye  see 
the  Son  of  Man  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power," — that  is, 
of  God  Almighty,  —  "  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  "  to 
judge  and  reign  over  this  world,  and  to  manage  the  affairs 
of  the  universe.  The  places  of  the  Old  Testament  which 
Christ  has  in  view  here,  and  which  give  us  the  full  import  of 
his  reply,  you  find  in  Psalm  110,  and  Daniel  7 :  13,  14. 
The  first  reads  thus  :  "  The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou 
at  my  right  hand  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool." 
And  the  other,  "  I  saw  in  the  night  visions ;  and  behold,  one 
like  the  Son  of  Man  came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven  and  came 
to  the  Ancient  of  Days,  and  they  brought  him  near  before 
him.  And  there  was  given  him  dominion  and  glory  and 
kingdom  (not  a  kingdom,  as  our  version  says),  that  all  people, 
nations  and  languages,  should  serve  him :  his  dominion  is  an 
everlasting  dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away ;  and  his 
kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed."  Here  some  of 
the  most  unbelieving  critics  agree  that  the  Messiah  is  spoken 
of,  and  his  divine  nature  asserted.  And  Christ  applies  the 
passages  to  himself  under  oath.  I  am  overwhelmed  at  the 
thought !  Where  is  now  the  miserable  accommodation  sys- 
tem of  unbelieving  men,  who  tell  us  that  Jesus  conformed 
wisely  to  the  superstitions  of  his  age,  and,  in  order  to  gain  a 
salutary  and  lawful  influence  among  the  Jews,  pretended  to  be 
just  that  fabled  Messiah  the  vain  expectation  of  whose  coming 
occupied  their  vacant  and  sensual  minds  1  Where  is  it  1  It 
is  blown  to  ten  thousand  tatters  by  the  force  of  this  single 


CONDEMNATION   OF   CHRIST.  107 

passage.  Christ  has  established  his  divine  character  upon  the 
most  solemn  oath  conceivable ;  and  he  is  either  a  perjured 
blasphemer,  or  he  sits  now  upon  the  throne  of  glory  in 
heaven,  and  will  come  to  judge  the  world  in  righteousness, 
and  reign  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun  for  ever  and 
ever.  And  you,  all  the  enemies  of  his  universal  kingdom,  or 
you,  cold  and  thoughtless  despisers  of  his  dying  love  !  trem- 
ble at  the  greatness  of  his  character  and  his  power,  and  at  the 
gloom  and  terror  of  your  hastening  doom.  Either  Christ  is 
now  in  the  lowest  hell  suffering  the  punishment  of  his  false 
oath,  or  you  must  ere  long  go  there,  confounded  by  his 
sovereign  and  righteous  sentence,  and  struck  down  by  the 
thunderbolts  of  his  omnipotence  ! 

But  some  one  might  ask,  Was  it  proper  that  Christ  should 
establish  his  divine  character  by  an  oath  ?  The  answer  is, 
He  had  done  so  already,  before  he  came  in  the  flesh.  Is.  45 : 
22,  23, —  "I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else.  /  have 
sworn  by  myself ;  the  word  is  gone  out  of  my  mouth  in 
righteousness  and  shall  not  return,  that  unto  me  every  knee 
shall  bow." 

But  we  must  return  to  our  story.  On  hearing  the  reply 
of  our  Lord,  the  High  Priest,  taking  the  very  thing  in  ques- 
tion for  granted,  and  assuming,  against  all  propriety  and  good 
sense,  that  Jesus  was  not  the  Messiah,  pronounced  him  a  blas- 
phemer, and,  hiding  his  infernal  joy  under  the  mask  of  pious 
horror,  rends  his  garment.  Matt.  26:  65,  etc.  —  "He  hath 
spoken  blasphemy,"  he  exclaims ;  "what  further  need  have 
we  of  witnesses  1  "  (thus  confessing  that  they  had  no  witness, 
in  fact).  "  Behold,  now  ye  have  heard  his  blasphemy.  What 
think  you  1  They  answered  and  said,  He  is  guilty  of  death. 
Then  did  they  spit  in  his  face,  and  buffeted  him,  and  others 
smote  him  with  the  palms  of  their  hands  "  (covering  hia 


108 


countenance),  ''saying,  Prophesy  unto  us  then,  Christ,  who 
is  he  that  smote  thee?"  In  these  abuses  the  servants  con- 
tinued until  the  time  was  come  to  proceed  to  Pilate,  while  the 
Sanhedrim  retired,  to  take  further  counsel  what  to  do  next 
with  him.  His  death  was  unanimously  agreed  upon.  In  the 
mean  time  Peter  denies  his  Lord;  but  a  reproving,  forgiving 
look  of  his  suffering  Master  restores  the  perishing  soul  to 
repentance  and  life.  Want  of  time  forbids  us  to  attend  in 
particular  to  this  interesting  subject.  Of  Judas  Iscariot,  too, 
we  have  only  time  to  say  that  he  was  evidently  present  all  the 
night.  It  was  about  this  time  that  he  approached  the  San- 
hedrim, confessing  his  guilt  and  desiring  them  to  take  their 
money  back.  On  receiving  a  spiteful  answer  from  them,  he 
is  driven  to  despair,  and,  instead  of  casting  himself  now  at  his 
Master's  feet,  runs  by  him,  right  to  the  temple,  where  he 
throws  down  the  reward  of  blood,  and,  procuring  a  rope, 
goes  and  hangs  himself.  The  cord,  being  too  feeble,  breaks, 
and  he  is  prostrated  from  some  considerable  height ;  his 
body  bursts  and  his  bowels  gush  out  to  the  ground,  while  his 
poor  soul  goes  "to  her  own  place." 

We  now  hasten  to  the  judgment-hall  of  Pilate,  to  which 
Christ,  still  bound,  was  hurried,  as  soon  as  the  rising  sun 
promised  admittance  at  that  criminal  court.  Careful  not  to 
defile  themselves,  the  Jews  refused  to  enter  into  the  judgment- 
hall,  and  the  Roman  governor  was  humane  enough  to  come 
out  to  them  to  hear  their  cause.  Conscious  that  they  had 
nothing  whereof  to  accuse  Christ,  they  first  endeavor  to 
overawe  the  governor  by  the  authority  and  dignity  of  their 
Sanhedrim;  and  when  he  asks  them,  "What  accusation 
bring  ye  against  this  man?"  they  proudly  reply,  "If  he 
were  not  a  malefactor,  we  would  not  have  delivered  him  up 
unto  thee.     Then  said  Pilate  unto  them,  Take  ye  him  and 


CONDEMNATION   OF   CHRIST.  109 

judge  liita  according  to  your  law.  The  Jews,  therefore,  said 
unto  him,  It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  put  any  man  to  death." 

According  to  the  traditions  of  the  Jews  themselves,  the 
power  of  capital  punishment  was  removed  from  the  Sanhedrim 
about  forty  years  before  the  destruction  of  the  temple  (that 
is,  about  this  time).  The  reasons  of  this,  and  the  manner  in 
which  it  was  done,  we  are  unable  to  ascertain.  The  proba- 
bility is,  that  the  growing  influence  of  the  Roman  governor, 
and  the  declining  and  degenerating  character  of  the  Sanhe- 
drim, rendered  proper,  and  gradually  introduced,  such  a 
change.  About  this  time,  this  law,  by  which  the  Sanhedrim 
was  deprived  of  the  power  of  capital  punishment,  was  a  new 
thing,  and  not  yet  carried  quite  into  execution.  This  throws 
light  upon  the  difficulties  of  our  passage.  The  governor,  not 
very  anxious  to  settle  the  religious  quarrels  of  the  synagogue, 
was  rather  willing  to  leave  it  to  them  according  to  the  old 
custom,  unless  they  could  show  cause  why  the  sentence  of 
death  should  be  passed ;  while  the  careful  Jews  were  unwill- 
ing to  take  the  responsibility  upon  themselves,  and  appeal  to 
the  new  regulation.  Indeed,  that  this  was  the  state  of  things 
then  is  implied  in  the  remark  which  John  adds  to  this  part 
of  the  story.  According  to  that  remark,  the  cause  was  not 
transmitted  to  Pilate  entirely  in  the  common  and  regular 
course  of  business,  but  "  that  the  saying  of  Jesus  might  be 
fulfilled  "  (that  is,  that  he  should  be  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  the  heathen).  (Matt.  20  :  19.)  The  governor  having 
refused  to  condemn  Christ  without  a  cause,  the  Jews  (Luke 
3  :  2)  begin  "to  accuse  him,  saying,  We  found  this  fellow 

rverting  the  nation  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute  to  Cesar, 

saying,  that  he  himself  is  Christ,  a  king.'      What  an  open 

falsehood  this  was,  is  too  plain  to  be  proved.     Had  not  Christ 

most  positively  approved  of  their  giving  tribute  ?     How  well 

10 


S 


110  CAPTURE,  ARRAIGNMENT  AND 

Pilate  knew  his  men,  and  how  little  he  believed  their  state- 
ments, will  appear  from  his  own  conduct.  Indeed,  if  we 
think  of  the  placid  and  meek  countenance  of  our  Lord  (for 
the  countenance  is  the  mirror  of  the  mind,  unless  consummate 
hypocrisy  dwells  within),  and  of  the  impression  which  his 
whole  appearance  was  calculated  to  make,  what  more  power- 
ful refutation  of  such  a  charge  is  there  conceivable  than  just 
his  mere  presence,  his  looks,  and  the  expression  of  his  eye  ? 
"  When  he  was  accused  of  the  Chief  Priests  and  Elders,  he 
answered  nothing.  Then  saith  Pilate  unto  him,  Hearest  thou 
not  how  many  things  they  witness  against  thee  ?  And  he 
answered  him  never  a  word,  insomuch  that  the  governor  mar- 
velled greatly"  (Matthew  27:  12—14.)  How  much  this 
part  of  Christ's  conduct  was  calculated  to  show  his  innocence, 
and  how  far  his  disposition  was  from  that  of  a  rebel  against 
the  government,  I  need  not  tell  you,  nor  did  it  escape  the 
attention  of  Pilate. 

Upon  this  indictment,  Pilate,  far  from  believing  it,  takes 
Christ  with  him  into  the  judgment-hall,  to  examine  him  fur- 
ther. "Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews?"  he  asks  him. 
(John  18  :  33.)  To  which  our  Lord  replies  more  largely 
than  we  should  have  expected,  showing  that  his  silence  on 
the  outside  was  owing  neither  to  stubbornness  nor  to  insensi- 
bility. "  Sayest  thou  this  thing  of  thyself,"  is  his  answer, 
"  or  did  others  tell  it  thee  of  me  ?  "  (v.  34)  that  is,  I  appeal 
to  thyself  whether  this  question  is  prompted  by  thy  own 
impression  or  conviction.  Do  I  look  like  an  aspiring,  daring 
outlaw  and  opposer  of  government  ?  Is  it  not  the  clamor  of 
the  Jews  which  makes  thee  ask  this  question  1  To  which 
Pilate  replies,  "Am  I  a  Jew?"  (v.  35.)  I  live  in  no 
expectation  of  a  Jewish  king.  To  be  sure,  l '  thine  own 
nation  and  the  Chief  Priests  have  delivered  thee  unto  me; 


CONDEMNATION   OF   CHRIST.  Ill 

what  hast  thou  done  ?  "  Thou  must,  after  all,  have  commit- 
ted some  crime  !  To  this  Christ  answers  again  :  "To  the 
former  question,  whether  I  am  a  king,  I  reply,  I  am  a  king 
Yet  not  a  temporal  one.  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world. 
If  my  kingdom  were  of  this  world,  then  would  my  servants 
fight,  that  I  should  not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews.  (v.  36.) 
My  very  condition  shows  the  nature  of  my  kingdom."  Pilate 
perfectly  understood  the  meaning  of  Christ  by  an  easy  refer- 
ence to  some  popular  maxims  of  the  Stoics,  and,  taking  him 
for  an  innoxious  but  eccentric  personage,  he  answers,  probably 
smiling,  "  Art  thou  a  king,  then  1 "  Is  it  not  true,  after  all, 
that  thou  art  a  king  ?  (v.  37.)  But  Christ,  preserving  dig- 
nity, replies,  "  Thou  sayest  (right)  that  I  am  a  king.  To 
this  end  was  I  born,  and  for  this  cause  came  I  into  the  world, 
that  I  should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth.  Every  one  that 
is  of  the  truth  heareth  my  voice."  Then  Pilate,  showing 
his  scepticism,  exclaims,  "  What  is  truth  1 "  And  when  he  had 
said  this,  says  John,  he  went  again  unto  the  Jews,  and  saith 
unto  them,  I  find  in  him  no  fault  at  all.  (v.  38.)  But 
"  they  were  the  more  fierce,  saying,  He  stirreth  up  the  peo- 
ple, teaching  throughout  all  Jewry,  beginning  from  Galilee 
to  this  place."  So  Luke  23  :  5.  They  purposely  and  invid- 
iously mention  Galilee,  as  that  province  was  renowned  par- 
ticularly for  the  seditious  disposition  of  its  inhabitants.  On 
further  inquiry,  Pilate  is  informed  by  the  Jews  that  the 
prisoner  is  a  Galilean,  and  knowing  that  Herod  Antipas, 
under  whose  jurisdiction  he  consequently  belonged,  was  just 
then  at  Jerusalem  on  account  of  the  feast,  he  sends  them  all 
there,  glad  to  get  rid  of  this  unwelcome  business. 

To  anticipate  the  kind  of  reception  with  which  Christ  was 
to  meet  there,  it  is  sufficient  to  remember  that  this  was  the 
same  Herod  who  had  married  his  own  brother's  wife,  and 


112  CAPTURE,  ARRAIGNMENT  AND 

upon  whom  the  faithful  and  solemn  entreaties  and  instructions 
of  John  the  Baptist  had  been  worse  than  lost.  Crime  had 
seared  his  conscience,  and  dissipation  and  self-conceit  had 
debased  his  heart.  The  thoughtless  sensualist,  equally  cir- 
cumscribed in  influence  and  intellect,  was  accustomed  to  feed 
deliriously  upon  the  gross  flatteries  of  empty-headed  court- 
iers, and  upon  banqueting,  revelry,  and  the  mean  and  silly 
tricks  of  travelling  jugglers.  He  was  now  "  exceedingly 
glad"  (Luke  23:  8)  to  see  Jesus,  and  had  been  long  desir- 
ous to  see  him ;  and  he  hoped  he  would  have  ' {  seen  some 
miracle  done  by  him  "  to  gratify  his  idle  curiosity.  Hence 
he  condescended  to  question  the  poor  prisoner  "  in  many 
words;"  while  the  Jews,  on  the  other  hand,  trembling  for 
their  perishing  cause,  poured  a  stream  of  complaints  and  lies 
into  his  ear,  about  the  criminality  of  this  his  dangerous  and 
aspiring  subject.  And  it  is  delightful  to  observe  that  our 
blessed  Lord  did  cast  not  so  much  as  one  pearl  before  that 
man,  nor  open  his  mouth  once  to  clear  his  character  from 
charges  which  carried  their  refutation  with  them.  "  But  he 
answered  him  nothing,"  says  Luke.  One  knave  will  easily 
find  out  another.  Herod  was  perfectly  prepared  to  appre- 
ciate the  motives  of  the  High  Priests  and  Jews,  and  the 
weight  of  their  testimony,  of  which  he  never  believed  a  word ; 
but,  provoked  and  offended  by  the  becoming  conduct  of  Christ, 
he  begins  to  revile  him,  in  which  he  is  duly  assisted  by  his 
courtiers,  who  of  course  admired  everything  he  did  and  said. 
(Luke  23.)  They  "set  Christ  at  naught,"  and  arraying 
him  gorgeously  in  a  white  robe,  they  sent  him  and  his  dis- 
appointed prosecutors  back  to  Pilate.  "  And  the  same  day 
Pilate  and  Herod  were  made  friends  together ;  for  before  they 
were  at  enmity  between  themselves."  (v.  12). 

Ah !  the  matter  fares  miserably  for  the  Jews.     The  sun 


CONDEMNATION   OF   CHRIST.  113 

rises  higher  and  higher,  the  holy  feast  draws  near  ;  two  courts 
of  justice  (so  called)  have,  on  the  whole,  pronounced  the 
defendant  innocent,  and  yet  he  must  be  despatched  soon  ;  for 
if  his- numerous  friends  learn  that  he  is  on  trial,  they  may 
inquire  into  the  matter,  and  then  the  venerable  Sanhedrim 
will  appear  to  no  singular  advantage.  It  is  plain  they  must 
prevail  on  Pilate  now  to  kill  him :  and  succeed  they  must,  or 
their  character  and  influence  are  at  an  end. 

Determined  to  carry  their  purpose  through,  they  arrive 
again  before  the  judgment-hall  of  Pilate.  But  Pilate  is 
rather  strengthened  m  his  purpose  not  to  yield,  and  begins  to 
plead  the  cause  of  innocence  himself  to  some  extent.  It  was, 
moreover,  about  this  time  that  his  wife  sent  unto  him,  com- 
municating to  him  a  dream  about  which  her  own  mind  was 
much  exercised,  and  which  had,  according  to  her  opinion, 
reference  to  the  present  affair,  and  contained  a  warning  to 
Pilate  not  to  stain  his  conscience  with  the  murder  of  this  just 
person.  "  Ye  have  brought  this  man  unto  me,  as  one  that 
perverteth  the  people  ;  and  behold  I  have  examined  him  before 
you,  and  have  found  no  fault  in  this  man,  touching  those 
things  whereof  ye  accuse  him  ;  no,  nor  yet  Herod ;  for  I  sent 
you  to  him  ;  and  lo  !  nothing  worthy  of  death  is  done  unto 
him.  I  will  therefore  chastise  him  and  release  him.  (For 
of  necessity  he  must  release  one  unto  them  at  the  feast.) 
And  they  cried  out  all  at  once,  saying,  Away  with  this  man 
and  release  us  Barabbas,  who,  for  a  certain  sedition  made  in 
the  city  and  for  murder,  was  cast  into  prison.  Pilate  there- 
fore, still  willing  to  release  Jesus,  spake  again  unto  them  in 
his  behalf.  But  they  cried,  saying,  Crucify  him  !  And  he 
said  unto  them  the  third  time,  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done  ? 
I  have  found  no  cause  of  death  in  him.  I  will  therefore  chas- 
tise him  and  let  him  go.  And  they  were  instant  with  loud 
10* 


114  CAPTURE,  ARRAIGNMENT  AND 

voices  requiring  that  he  might  be  crucified.  And  the  voices 
of  them  and  of  the  Chief  Priests  prevailed,"  waxing  stronger 
and  stronger.  Then  took  Pilate  Jesus  and  scourged  him, 
against  his  own  better  knowledge  and  conscience,  hoping  by 
that  affecting  scene  to  touch  the  tiger-hearts  of  the  mob. 
And  after  having  scourged  him,  the  soldiers  placed  a  crown 
of  thorns  and  put  it  on  his  head ;  and  they  put  a  purple  robe 
upon  him,  and  said,  tauntingly,  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews  !  and 
they  smote  him  with  their  hands.  Pilate,  therefore,  hoping 
now  to  effect  his  weak  purpose,  went  forth  again,  and  saith 
unto  them,  Behold  I  bring  him  forth  to  you,  that  ye  may 
know  that  I  find  no  fault  in  him.  Then  came  Jesus  forth 
(stripped  of  his  garments,  scourged  and  bleeding),  wearing 
the  crown  of  thorns  and  the  purple  robe.  And  Pilate  saith 
unto  them,  Behold  the  man  !  the  poor  sufferer,  who  has  done 
no  harm !  Let  it  be  enough  now  of  revenge  and  cruelty ! 
But  when  the  Chief  Priests  and  the  officers  saw  him,  they 
cried  out, —  horror  strikes  me  as  I  rehearse  it, —  "Crucify 
him,  crucify  him  ! "  Pilate  shrinks  with  terror  from  the 
thought, —  "Take  ye  him,"  he  says,  "and  crucify  him;  for  I 
find  no  fault  in  Mm."  The  Jews  answered  him,  "  We 
have  a  law,  and  by  our  law  he  ought  to  die,  because  he  made 
himself  the  Son  of  God."  Another  falsehood.  They  have 
no  such  law,  and  never  did  have  anything  like  it.  They 
could  not  have  had  it.  According  to  this  law  they  would 
have  been  obliged  to  crucify  their  own  expected  Messiah,  who, 
by  the  tenor  of  the  second  Psalm,  was  acknowledged  by 
themselves  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  And  ah  !  had  they  had 
such  a  law,  how  carefully  would  they  have  preserved  it  to  the 
present  day  !  Upon  this,  Pilate,  terrified  and  amazed,  leads 
Christ  once  more  into  the  judgment-hall,  and  asks  him, 
"  Whence  art  thou  ?  "  but  receives  no  answer.     The  time  of 


CONDEMNATION    OF   CHRIST.  115 

our  Lord  was  now  come.  The  last  word  of  self-defence  was 
uttered.  Then  saith  Pilate  unto  him,  "  Speakest  thou  not 
unto  me  ?  Knowest  thou  not  that  I  have  power  to  crucify 
thee  and  have  power  to  release  thee  ?"  To  which  our  Lord 
replies  in  substance,  Thou  hast  no  power  over  me  except  by 
a  particular  divine  dispensation.  Nor  do  I  blame  thee  so 
much ;  those  who  delivered  me  unto  thee,  they  will  bear  the 
chief  curse.  Overcome  by  this  remark,  so  full  of  meaning, 
Pilate  determines  to  make  still  further  efforts  to  save  him. 
"  But  the  Jews  cried  out,  If  thou  let  this  man  go,  thou  art 
not  Caesar's  friend.  Whosoever  maketh  himself  a  king, 
speaketh  against  Caesar  !  "  (v.  12.)  "  When  Pilate  heard 
that  saying,  he  brought  Jesus  forth,  and  sat  down  in  the 
judgment-seat,  in  a  place  that  is  called  the  Pavement "(  v. 
13).  Desirous  and  decided  now  to  make  an  end,  but  still 
anxious  to  save  the  sufferer,  and  showing  that  their  last 
remark  did  not  affect  him,  he  says,  "  Behold  your  king ! " 
But  they  cried  out,  "  Away  with  him,  away  with  him  !  cru- 
cify him  !  "  Pilate  saith  unto  them,  Shall  I  crucify  your 
king?  (appealing  to  their  national  pride).  The  Chief  Priests 
answered,  "  We  have  no  king  but  Caesar."  Then,  "  when 
Pilate  saw  that  he  could  prevail  nothing,  but  that  rather  a 
tumult  was  made,  he  took  water  and  washed  his  hands  before 
the  multitude,  saying,  "I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this 
just  person ;  see  ye  to  it !  Then  answered  all  the  people  and 
said,  His  blood  be  on  us  and  on  our  children."  (Matt.  27  :  24, 
etc.)  "  Then  delivered  he  him  unto  them  to  be  crucified." 
The  insults  and  abuses  of  the  soldiers  and  others  then  seem 
to  have  begun  afresh  with  redoubled  fury  (compare  Matthew 
27 :  27),  and  preparations  for  his  execution  were  fast 
making. 

Numerous  reflections  now  pres3  upon  me.     But  our  time 


116 


is  elapsed.     However,  I  will  close  with  a  few  hints  to  those 
who  may  wish  to  dwell  upon  this  story  still  more  to-day. 

1.  It  was  not  only  a  murder  on  the  part  of  the  Jews,  but 
it  was  a  conscious  and  deliberate  murder,  and  one,  too,  which 
required  a  most  surprising  degree  of  determination  and  des- 
perate perseverance. 

2.  Pilate  presents  us  with  a  most  instructive  example  of 
the  folly  and  wickedness  of  a  time-serving  spirit ;  though  his 
fine  sensibilities  make  him  more  an  object  of  sympathy  and 
pity  than  of  that  abhorrence  in  which  he  is  generally  held  by 
good  people.  Herod  deserves  no  attention,  and  the  lesson  we 
can  learn  of  him  may  be  learned  of  any  one  epicurean  wretch 
of  the  most  common  kind. 

3.  The  character  of  our  Lord  was  cleared  to  perfection  by 
friends  and  foes  ;  his  conduct  exhibits  the  ideal  of  suffering 
holiness  beyond  the  stretch  of  human  thought  and  inven- 
tion, and  is  a  more  powerful  proof  of  his  being  more  than 
man  than  the  whole  assemblage  of  his  miracles  is  or  could 
be.  While  he  suffers,  he  is  the  perfect  conqueror  of,  and 
king  over,  all  his  accusers  and  judges,  whether  Jews  or 
Gentiles. 

4.  He  is  a  golden  mirror  to  us  who  are  Christians.  This 
is  the  spirit  for  which  we  ought  to  ask,  which  we  ought  to 
seek, — nay,  which  we  have,  in  a  small  degree  indeed,  but  in 
a  degree  marked,  perceptible  and  growing,  if  we  are  Chris- 
tians in  reality. 

5.  What  he  suffered  he  suffered  for  us ;  and,  more  than 
that,  he  suffered  it  by  us ;  we  were  among  the  Jews,  the 
High  Priests,  the  band  ;  we  betrayed,  caught,  denied, 
scourged,  murdered  him.  But  we  hope,  some  of  us  at  least, 
that  we  have  sincerely  repented,  and  received  the  pardon  of 
our  sins,  and  a  new  heart.     May  this  be   so !     For,  if  it 


CONDEMNATION   OF   CIIRIST. 


117 


should  prove  false,  then  shall  we  go,  ere  long,  to  that  place 
where  those  High  Priests,  captains,  Jews,  Herod,  Judas, 
Annas,  Caiaphas,  and  perhaps  Pilate,  have  been  near  eighteen 
hundred  years,  weeping  and  gnashing  their  teeth ;  and  where 
they  will  weep  and  gnash  their  teeth  until  their  innocent 
victim  shall  cease  to  sit  "  on  the  right  hand  of  power." 


VI. 

BEHOLD  YOUR  KING. 
Behold  your  king.  —  John  19  :  14. 

"  Go  forth,  0  ye  daughters  of  Zion,  and  behold  King 
Solomon  with  the  crown  wherewith  his  mother  crowned  him 
in  the  day  of  his  espousals,  and  in  the  day  of  the  gladness  of 
his  heart."  Thus  you  are  addressed  by  the  sacred  poet, 
who,  when  he  wrote  that  "song  of  songs,"  which  [our  adver- 
saries being  judges]  is  the  most  exquisite  ever  written, 
depicted  with  colors  and  images  borrowed  from  conjugal  love 
and  tenderness  those  indissoluble  and  holy  affections  which 
unite  Christ  and  the  church.  Whether  the  passage  quoted 
has  particular  reference  to  the  great  marriage  supper  of  the 
Lamb,  yet  to  come,  when  "the  holy  city,  New  Jerusalem, 
shall  come  down  from  God  out  of  heaven  prepared  as  a  bride 
adorned  for  her  husband;"  or  whether  its  object  is  to  lead 
the  pious  heart  to  a  devout  consideration  of  Christ  in  the 
beauty  of  his  sufferings,  when  he  purchased  with  the  ransom 
of  his  blood  his  beloved  church,  that  he  might  present  her  to 
himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any 
such  thing;  this,  and  all  like  questions,  a  Christian  may 
safely  leave  to  the  critics,  and,  following  the  drawings  of  a 
sanctified  heart,  make  such  a  use  of  it  for  himself  as  would 


BEHOLD   YOUR   KING.  119 

seem  best  to  assist  him  in  devotion,  and  to  benefit  and  warm 
his  heart. 

I  have  used  it  to  call  your  attention  to  the  affecting  spec- 
tacle which  the  suffering  Jesus  presented  when  Pilate  led  him 
forth,  scourged,  buffeted,  spit  upon,  crowned  with  thorns  and 
with  an  old  scarlet  mantle  mockingly  thrown  upon  him, 
vainly  endeavoring  to  call  forth  the  national  pride  of  an 
abject,  infuriated  and  reprobate  priesthood  and  mob.  A  few 
moments  previously,  Pilate  had  made  an  attempt  to  excite 
their  commiseration  by  leading  forth  our  Lord  when  he  was 
already  in  this  affecting  condition ;  but  he  found  the  tender 
mercies  of  the  wicked  cruel  indeed.  Then  followed  his 
equally  unsuccessful  appeal  to  their  patriotism;  and  when 
this  also  failed,  he  delivered  up  Jesus  to  be  crucified.  Like 
unto  Pilate,  but  with  different  motives  and  different  feel- 
ings, I  hope,  and  to  a  different  assembly,  I  lead  him  forth. 
And,  in  doing  so,  what  fitter  words  could  I  have  used,  to 
awaken  the  sensibilities  of  every  pious  heart,  than  the  words 
of  our  sacred  poet:  "Go  forth,  0  ye  daughters  of  Zion,"  etc. 

Few  and  plain  shall  be  my  words  to-day,  beloved  hearers. 
Learning  is  of  all  things  the  very  last  for  which  I  could  now 
wish.  There  are  neither  hard  words  nor  hard  things  to  be 
explained  to-day.  Nor  do  I  even  wish  for  the  glowing  imagi- 
nation or  the  peering  intellect  of  great  men,  or  higher  spirits. 
No !  I  want  the  humble,  penitent,  believing,  loving,  grate- 
ful, and  devout  heart ;  I  want  the  plain,  unvarnished  impres- 
sion of  my  subject ;  and  then  as  much  utterance  as  the  plain 
impression  itself  would  suggest,  so  that  the  fact  may  speak 
for  itself.  May  I  have  every  needed  assistance  and  gift,  in 
the  performance  of  my  present  solemn  task  ! 

Christ,  as  he  was  led  forth  by  Pilate,  shall  be  the  object 
of  our  prayerful  attention  at  this  time.     To  obtain  a  more 


120  BEHOLD  YOUR   KING. 

correct  and  complete  impression  of  the  spectacle,  we  shall  have 
to  look  at  it  from  three  different  points  of  view,  as  it  were. 
Doing  this,  the  subject  will  come  before  our  minds  under  the 
following  three  divisions : 

I.  The  condemnation  of  Christ  at  the  bar  of 
Pilate,  and  the  sufferings  he  experienced  there. 

II.  Their  cause. 

III.  Their  effect. 

I.  To  attempt  to  make  a  correct  and  adequate  impression 
upon  you,  as  to  the  feelings  of  Christ  when  Pilate  led  him 
forth  the  last  time,  would  indeed  be  a  vain  effort.  Whatso- 
ever may  be  the  nature  of  enjoyment  and  suffering  in  other 
worlds,  in  this  world  it  holds  true  throughout  that  they  have 
very  much  of  the  relative  and  comparative  in  them ;  that  is, 
here  we  feel  satisfied  and  happy,  or  displeased  and  unhappy, 
in  our  present  condition,  very  much  in  comparison  to  what 
we  were  in  the  habit  of  enjoying  or  suffering  before ;  and 
hence  it  comes  to  pass,  in  the  experience  of  every  day,  that 
the  same  combination  of  external  circumstances  which  fills 
one  with  delight  leaves  another  wholly  unaffected,  and  pre- 
sents a  third  one  with  the  very  ideal,  as  he  thinks,  of  wretch- 
edness and  distress.  A  treatment  which  would  elate  the 
heart  of  a  vain  and  ignorant  slave  creates  no  emotion  in  the 
breast  of  a  free  citizen,  and  would  deeply  wound  the  feelings 
of  one  who  has,  or  thinks  he  has,  a  rightful  claim  upon  uni- 
versal veneration  and  worship,  and  who  has  been  in  the  habit 
of  enjoying  them. 

You  readily  apprehend  what  I  am  alluding  to  in  these 
remarks.  So  far  as  Christ  was  divine ;  so  far  as  his  con- 
sciousness extended  back  into  times,  or  rather  into  eternities, 
when  he  enjoyed  the  adoration  and  the  praises  of  a  holy  and 
grateful  universe,  and  felt  himself  absolutely  unlimited  and 


BEIIOLD   YOUR   KING.  121 

supreme  throughout  his  vast  creation ;  so  far  as  he  knew,  by 
an  experience  extending  a  whole  eternity  back,  what  it  is  to 
be  God, —  so  far,  it  would  be  madness  for  us  to  struggle  for  a 
realizing  sense  of  what  he  must  have  felt  when  standing  before 
the  raging  mob  in  that  most  melancholy  condition  in  which 
you  know  he  then  was.  We  can  only  speak  of  him  as  though 
he  had  been  a  mere  man,  and  then  remember  that  in  view  of 
his  divine  character  we  are  standing  at  the  shores  of  an  unex- 
plored ocean,  of  whose  extent  we  have  no  conception. 

In  respect  to  his  bodily  frame,  Christ  must  needs  have 
been  much  affected  by  that  agitation  of  mind  which  his 
approaching  sufferings  had  occasioned  him  for  some  time  past, 
and  which  no  doubt  had  often  robbed  him  of  sleep,  when  all 
around  him  were  sweetly  resting  and  preparing  for  the  duties 
of  the  morrow.  More  still  must  he  have  been  reduced  by 
the  scene  of  Gethsemane,  which,  whatsoever  particular  views 
may  be  cherished  of  it  by  different  men,  must  be  granted  by  all 
to  have  been  an  awful  and  most  unnatural  and  overwhelming 
mental  distress.  In  Gethsemane,  probably  no  more  than  five 
or  ten  minutes  after  he  rose  from  prayer,  he  was  bound  and 
dragged  back  to  Jerusalem,  first  to  Annas'  then  to  Caiaphas' 
house,  where  he  was  questioned  and  vexed,  standing  up  all 
night,  till  about  morning,  when  the  examination  was  closed, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  time  was  spent  in  buffeting,  beating 
and  abusing  him,  till  the  hour  to  apply  to  Pilate  was  come. 
Then  he  was  thrust  once  more  through  the  streets,  to  Pilate, 
and  from  thence,  after  considerable  examination,  to  Herod. 
At  Herod's  court  he  was  again  queried  and  mocked,  and  then 
hurried  back  to  Pilate  again.  After  some  efforts  to  release 
Jesus,  Pilate,  seeing  the  fury  of  the  multitude,  delivered  him 
to  the  band  of  Roman  soldiers,  to  be  scourged.  This  they 
did ;  and  being  probably  bribed  by  the  Jews,  they  added  to 
11 


122  BEHOLD   YOUR   KING. 

the  punishment  ordered  by  law  their  own  newly-invented 
inhumanities,  platting  a  crown  of  thorns  and  pressing  it  upon 
his  head,  putting  an  old  purple  robe  upon  him,  smiting  him 
with  their  hands,  and  tauntingly  saluting  him  as  a  king. 
And  you  may  imagine  what  that  meant,  to  have  a  band  of  rude 
soldiers  round  about  him,  who  were  paid  for  their  barbarities, 
and  who  wreaked  their  savage,  spiteful  rage  upon  a  poor  Jew, 
as  they  thought  him  to  be,  and  upon  whom  they  would  have 
much  less  compassion  than  upon  some  poor,  suffering  animal. 

But  the  chastisement  inflicted  by  order  is  already  enough, 
in  itself,  to  make  one  shudder.  When  a  person  was  scourged 
previously  to  crucifixion,  he  was  stripped  of  his  garments, 
except  something  tied  around  the  loins.  In  this  condition  he 
was  fastened  to  a  post  or  pillar,  and  beaten.  The  instrument 
of  torture  was  a  whip,  with  a  large  number  of  strings  or 
thongs  of  leather,  interlaced  with  little  hooks,  so  as  to  imme- 
diately penetrate  the  flesh,  and  lay  open  every  vessel  which 
they  touched.  The  Romans  used  to  call  it  "  horibile  flagel- 
lum" —  the  horrible  whip, —  and  it  was  applied  only  to  slaves. 
Such  was  the  severity  of  this  flagellation,  that  numbers  of  the 
stoutest  and  (as  to  bodily  constitution)  most  hardened  male- 
factors expired  under  it.  It  may  assist  us  in  getting  an 
adequate  idea  of  the  barbarity  of  this  punishment,  when  we 
remember  that  even  the  well-known  inhuman  Russian  knout 
is  fatal,  unless  the  blows  are  purposely  directed  to  the  lungs, 
while  the  Roman  whip  carried  death  with  it  in  not  a  few 
instances  in  its  ordinary  application. 

I  should  doubtless  be  treading  the  footsteps  of  Pilate,  if  I 
endeavored  to  work  upon  your  feelings  by  exaggerating  the 
sufferings  of  Jesus  in  this  instance,  and  by  representing  the 
soldiers  as  making  peculiar  efforts  to  render  them  severe, 
while  I  had  no  reason  or  ground  so  to  do.     But  I  can  leave 


BEHOLD    YOUR   KING.  123 

it  with  any  one  of  you  to  say  whether  those  who  invented 
even  new  tortures,  and  exulted  in  the  agonies  of  their  victim, 
to  whom  they  showed  not  a  spark  of  pity, —  whether  these 
men,  I  say,  were  at  all  likely  to  treat  him  with  lenity,  or  to 
inflict  upon  him  anything  less  than  the  utmost  implied  in  the 
unrighteous  charge  of  Pilate.  Ah !  there  is  not  a  shadow  of 
ground  for  such  a  supposition ;  and  we  have  to  admit,  as 
mere  critics,  the  high  probability  that  our  Lord  experienced 
a  flagellation  equal  to  anything  ever  executed  of  this  kind. 
Indeed,  this  is  even  implied  in  Pilate's  own  words,  when  he 
brought  him  out  to  the  people  the  first  time,  after  the  execu- 
tion of  his  cruel  order, — "  Behold  the  man  !  "  Behold  the 
extraordinary,  heart-dissolving  sight,  he  wanted  to  say.  Is 
he  not  scourged  and  lacerated  enough  now  to  satisfy  your 
rage  and  your  envy  1  Let  the  sight  of  your  eyes  affect  your 
hearts,  and  let  me  now  release  him !  How  could  Pilate  have 
said  so,  if  Christ  had  not  exhibited  a  more  pitiful  spectacle 
than  that  witnessed  at  other  times  in  similar  instances  1 
"Why,"  the  people  could  have  answered  him,  "behold  the 
man '?  what  is  there  to  behold  ?  —  we  have  seen  a  hundred 
culprits  scourged  like  him,  and  more  too ;  that  is  nothing 
worth  beholding  yet !  "  But  they  say  no  such  thing.  They 
admit  the  spectacle  to  be  extraordinary,  and  merely  keep 
roaring  out,  "  Crucify  him  !  crucify  him  !  "  And  here  let 
me  just  notice,  in  passing,  the  doubt  entertained  and  repeated 
over  and  over  again,  by  infidels,  respecting  the  reality  of 
Christ's  death  upon  the  cross.  Even  very  lately  it  has  been 
maintained  that  it  was  to  the  highest  degree  improbable  that 
he  really  died,  but  that  he  to  all  appearance  merely  fell  into 
a  swoon,  and  was  afterwards  awaked  again  by  the  efforts  of 
his  friends,  etc.  How  could  he  die  in  six  hours,  it  is  said, 
when  others  lived  two,  three,  and  even  six  and  seven  days 


124  BEHOLD   YOUR   KING. 

upon  the  cross,  and  either  died  of  hunger,  or  were  torn  by 
wild  beasts  l  But  that  many  others  did  not  even  survive  the 
flagellation,  or,  if  they  did,  were  treated  with  some  degree  of 
lenity,  came  to  the  punishment  with  robust  constitutions,  and 
were  weakened  by  no  previous  agonizing  struggles,  is  taken 
into  no  account  by  these  men.  To  me  it  is  a  wonder  that  he 
did  not  expire  under  the  hand  of  the  soldiers ;  that  he  could 
stand  yet  upon  his  feet  after  the  scourging;  that  he  could 
walk  out  of  the  city  ;  that  he  could  for  some  time  even  bear 
his  own  cross ;  that  he  could  mount  up  the  hill  of  Golgotha, 
and  at  last  endure  full  six  hours  upon  the  cross,  conversing 
and  praying  to  the  end.  To  me  it  is  in  the  highest  degree 
probable  that  something  more  than  the  strength  of  his  human 
frame  was  necessary  to  carry  him  through  all  these  horrors ; 
yes,  something  more.  He  could  not  be  permitted  to  die  in 
Gethsemane, —  he  could  not,  for  the  same  reason,  die  in 
Pilate's  hall;  he  must  die  on  the  cross,  for  (as  I  have 
already  remarked  formerly)  it  is  written,  "cursed  is  every 
one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the 
book  of  the  law,  to  do  them ; "  and  again  it  is  written,  "cursed 
is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree."  And  it  was  only  when 
that  purpose  was  accomplished,  and  his  last  words  were 
uttered,  that  the  sustaining  power  withdrew,  his  frame  yielded 
to  the  accumulated  causes  of  dissolution,  and  he  yielded  up 
his  spirit. 

When,  therefore,  Christ  was  led  forth  by  Pilate,  he  cer- 
tainly presented  a  spectacle  of  suffering  uncommon  even  in 
those  days.  His  shoulders,  his  back,  half  his  arms,  and  his 
breast,  were  lacerated  by  the  whip,  and,  probably,  in  many 
places,  to  the  very  bones ;  his  countenance  was  disfigured  and 
swollen  by  the  violent  blows  of  the  soldiers,  which  he  had  just 
received  in  addition  to  those  already  inflicted  upon  him  by  the 


BEHOLD   YOUR   KINO.  125 

Jews  the  night  previous;  to  his  wounded  left  shoulder  and 
breast  and  half  his  back  was  cleaving  an  old  military  cloak  of 
purple,  which  was  thrown  upon  him,  and  hooked,  as  the  fash- 
ion then  was,  upon  the  right  shoulder ;  in  his  hand  he  had  a 
reed,  mockingly  alluding  to  the  staves  which  the  commanders 
of  Roman  armies  and  kings  used  to  hold  in  their  hands ;  and 
upon  his  head  was  fastened  by  repeated  blows  (compare  Mat- 
thew 27 :  30)  a  wreath  of  thorns,  representing  either  a  royal 
diadem,  or  perhaps  the  laurel  wreath  of  a  conqueror.  And 
worthy  of  notice  is  the  remark  of  a  late  and  able  commenta- 
tor, that  in  reference  to  the  crown  of  thorns  some  abatement 
should  be  made;  because,  had  it  been  of  pure  thorns,  he 
might  have  been  mortally  wounded  by  it,  or  at  least  must 
needs  have  fainted  away  under  the  torment.  But  where  do 
you  read  of  that  abatement  in  Scripture  1  And  to  all  this 
you  will  of  course  add  the  nudity  and  trembling  of  his  limbs, 
the  paleness  of  his  body,  the  submissive  meekness  of  his  coun- 
tenance, the  anxious  bosom  heaving  still  with  the  apprehen- 
sion of  tortures  to  come ;  the  agitation  of  his  lungs,  and  the 
feverish  excitement  of  his  whole  system,  occasioned  by  the 
cruel  flagellation. 

Thus  Pilate  led  him  forth  to  the  Jews.  Thus  I  lead  him 
forth  to  you ;  and  I  have  no  hesitation,  in  the  words  of  the 
Roman  governor,  though  in  a  far  different  sense,  to  exclaim, 
"  Behold  your  King."  To  the  world,  I  know,  he  has  no 
form  nor  comeliness  in  this  sad  predicament ;  but  to  souls 
convinced  of  sin,  and  to  the  true  believer,  it  is  just  so  that  he 
is  the  Chief  among  ten  thousand  and  the  One  altogether 
lovely.  0,  yes !  the  more  abused  and  dishonored  for  our 
sakes,  the  more  unlovely  to  the  world,  the  more  a  man  of 
sorrows,  the  more  bruised,  stricken,  smitten  of  God  and 
afflicted,  the  more  beautiful,  the  more  lovely,  the  more  ador- 
11* 


126  BEHOLD   YOUR   KING. 

able,  he  is  to  us.  Know  it,  proud  and  haughty  world,  we  are 
not  ashamed  of  him  so  !  No  !  And.  0  !  may  he  never  be 
ashamed  of  us  !  It  is  in  the  beauty  of  his  sufferings  that  he 
is  the  object  of  our  supreme  affection.  Thus  he  drew  us  in 
the  day  of  his  power,  and  we  ran  after  him.  It  is  thus  that 
we  love  him  and  seek  him  on  our  beds  in  the  night-season. 
And  though  we  may  often  well  say,  "  The  watchmen  that 
went  about  the  city  found  me  ;  they  smote  me ;  they  wounded 
me;  the  keepers  of  the  walls  took  away  my  vail  from  me;" 
yet  we  seek  him  still.  And  though  we  love  him  but  little, 
yet,  while  we  have  a  spark  of  faith  and  love  in  our  hearts,  we 
cease  not  to  cry,  "I  charge  you,  0  daughters  of  Jerusalem, 
if  ye  find  my  beloved,  that  ye  tell  him  that  I  am  sick  of 
love."  And  if  we  have  now  and  shall  hereafter  have  any 
interest  in  him,  it  is  just  so  that  he  is  our  delight  in  life,  and 
will  be  our  consolation  in  death,  and  our  eternal  song  in 
heaven.  Thus  he  is  our  King  forevermore.  Yes,  our  King ! 
For  while  we  see  him  in  the  very  gulf  of  abject  sufferings 
and  distress,  the  eye  of  our  faith  can  well  discern  the  moral, 
heavenly  beauty  and  perfection  of  the  unique  sight ;  our  com- 
miseration is  quickly  absorbed  by  admiration  and  humble  wor- 
ship ;  and  our  tears  of  sorrow  and  pity  are  quickly  dried  up 
by  the  fire  of  love  and  joy,  and  in  a  little  while  we  can  only 
weep  the  sweet  tear  of  penitent  affection  and  tender  gratitude. 
True,  we  see  a  sufferer  before  us,  bruised,  abused,  mocked, 
despised,  and  condemned  to  death;  but  we  see  an  unconvicted, 
innocent  sufferer,  a  holy  sufferer,  one  who  suffers  freely  and 
out  of  love  to  his  enemies,  a  divine  sufferer.  Yes,  he  is  our 
King, —  he  is  our  King.  Know  it,  ye  heavens  above,  and 
rejoice  with  us !  He  is  our  King  !  Know  it,  thou  distracted 
world,   and  wonder,  gainsay,  and  perish  !     He  is  our  King ! 


* 


BEHOLD   YOUR   KING.  127 

Know  it,  hell  beneath,  and  tremble  to  the  very*  centre  !     He 
is  our  King  forevermore  ! 

II.  Thus  far  we  have  looked  at  the  scene  from  a  distance. 
We  have,  as  it  were,  occupied  an  honorable  place  in  the  win- 
dows or  gallery  of  some  neighboring  house,  and  the  mad 
crowd  before  Pilate's  door  has  been  raving  beneath  our 
feet.  But  we  must  descend  now,  unexpected  as  it  may  be  to 
you,  my  hearers,  and  humbling  and  mortifying  as  it  may  be 
to  us  all ;  I  must  lead  you  down,  and  with  you  take  a  place 
among  the  Jews  in  the  street  below,  and  among  the  heathen 
soldiers  in  the  judgment-hall.  For  we  now  inquire,  What 
was  the  cause  of  our  Lord's  condemnation,  flagellation  and 
abuse,  and  who  were  the  true  agents  in  them  % 

Here  I  answer,  without  hesitation,  Our  sins  were  the 
cause  —  ive  were  the  agents.  Few  words  will  be  needed  to 
establish  that.  An  appeal  to  the  word  of  God  and  to  your 
own  consciences  will  suffice,  if  anything  can  convince  you. 

Thus  much  is  plain,  that  he  was  not  condemned,  scourged 
and  mocked,  because  he  had  no  means  of  resistance.  He  had 
them  abundantly.  As  the  Jews  and  their  assistants  did  not 
seize  and  bind  him  and  drag  him  away  from  Gethsemane 
because  they  were  many  and  stout,  and  he  alone  and  weak, — 
and  as  the  Sanhedrim  did  not  wrong  and  abuse  him  because 
they  were  the  very  strength  of  the  nation  at  that  time,  so 
Pilate  did  not  condemn  him  and  deliver  him  up  by  the  power 
and  authority  of  his  office,  nor  did  the  soldiers  tie  him  to  the 
pillar  and  subject  him  to  the  horrible  whip  because  they  had 
helmets  on  their  heads,  and  shields  and  swords  and  spears 
about -them,  or  because  they  were  a  band  of  muscular  men, 
used  to  the  battle.  All  this  was  not  sufficient,  nor  could  it 
have  been  made  so  by  any  multiplication  whatsoever,  to 
account  for  the  event  before  us.     No  !  as  twelve  legions  of 


128  BEHOLD   YOUR  KING. 

angels,  and  indeed  all  the  hosts  of  heaven,  were  at  the  com- 
mand of  Christ  in  Gethsemane,  so  they  were  when  he  stood 
before  Pilate,  so  they  were  when  he  writhed  under  the  hands 
of  his  torturers  in  the  judgment -hall.  But  even  that  help  he 
did  not  need.  One  word  from  his  lips  did  prostrate  the  whole 
band  who  came  to  seize  him  in  the  garden ;  another  word 
would  have  laid  all  his  enemies  in  and  about  the  pretorium 
into  the  dust.  He  said  to  Pilate  openly,  Thou  hast  no  power 
over  me  at  all  in  the  common  course  of  things,  but  by  a  par- 
ticular divine  dispensation  ;  and  even  Pilate  felt  the  propriety 
of  the  remark.  He  was  then  what  he  always  had  been,  and 
always  will  be.  He  who  overthrew  heavenly  principalities, 
and  consigned  them  to  eternal  chains  of  darkness,  could  have 
made  both  Pilate  and  Tiberius  crouch  before  his  feet.  He 
who  could  hurl  stars  and  worlds  before  his  face  as  chaff,  could 
have  scattered  that  handful  of  his  clamorous  foes  with  a  nod. 
It  was,  then,  not  the  power  of  Pilate  which  condemned 
Christ,  nor  did  the  mere  hands  and  fists  of  the  Jews  and  the 
soldiers  reduce  him  to  that  condition  in  which  we  find  him 
to-day.  The  clamor  of  the  Jews  did  not  bring  about  his  con- 
demnation for  being  so  overwhelming  and  so  pertinacious. 
What,  then,  did  it  ?  you  ask.  If  they  were  not  the  proper 
agents  in  the  matter,  what  is  the  cause  ?  who  are  the  agents '? 
where  are  they?  I  answer,  with  the  prophet,  "He  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniqui- 
ties ;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and  with 
his  stripes  we  are  healed."  (Isaiah  53:  5.)  Here  is  the 
mystery  unravelled ;  here  is  the  cause ;  here  are  the  agents. 
Our  sins  did  it ;  that  is  to  say,  we  did  it.  We  tormented 
and  abused  and  crucified  him.  Like  a  lamb  he  entered  in 
among  us,  a  herd  of  grievous,  starving  wolves.  "Here  am 
I,"  he  cried;  "  take  me,  tear  me  to  pieces,  eat  my  flesh,  suck 


BEHOLD   YOUR   KING.  129 

my  blood,  if  it  can  do  you  any  good."  We  did  tear  him  to 
pieces.  And,  blessed  be  God  forever,  his  flesh  does  do  us 
good ;  for  it  does  satisfy  our  raging  hunger ;  it  is  according  to 
his  own  words,  that  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven, 
and  of  which,  if  any  man  eat,  he  shall  live  forever.  His 
blood  !  0  yes  !  it  does  us  good,  for  it  "  cleanseth  from  all 
sins." 

My  friends,  I  have  led  you  down,  and  have  put  you  among 
the  raving  Jews ;  and  now  I  ask  you,  Is  it  not  your  appropriate 
place  1  Do  you  deserve  a  better  one  1  I  do  not.  It  is  but 
too  true,  you  do  not.  We  are  no  better  than  the  adversaries 
and  tormentors  of  Christ  in  our  scene.  When  we  were 
grovelling  in  that  common,  low,  stupid  impenitence  which  is 
the  choice  and  condemnation  of  the  mass  -of  men,  then  did  we 
stand  among  the  satellites  of  the  priests  and  elders,  and  cried, 
"  Crucify,  crucify  him  !  "  When  we  rose  a  little  higher  to 
polished  and  popular  religious  habits,  and  put  on  the  beautiful 
embroidered  garment  of  self-righteousness,  or  the  toga  of  a 
vain  philosophy, —  when  we  sought  to  make  good  works,  or 
some  system  of  our  own  framing,  upset  and  supplant  the  doc- 
trine of  the  cross, —  then  did  we  sit  in  Caiaphas'  house,  worthy 
members  of  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim,  and  seeking  false  wit- 
nesses against  Christ,  but  finding  none.  When  we  judged 
and  condemned  his  people  because  they  were  imperfect,  or 
when  we  conformed  to  the  world,  knowingly,  and  against  our 
conscience,  then  did  we  deny  him  with  Peter,  and  condemn 
him  with  Pilate.  Our  avarice  often  sold  him  for  less  than 
thirty  pieces  of  silver ;  our  desire  to  break  away  from  every 
restraint  of  religion  and  of  divine  laws  bound  his  hands  and 
tied  him  to  the  dreadful  pillar  in  the  judgment-hall ;  our  early 
youthful  vanity  stripped  him  of  his  simple  and  necessary 
garments;   our  pride,  our  aspiration  to  worldly  greatness, 


130  BEHOLD   YOUR  KING. 

threw  the  purple  robe  over  his  shoulders  and  crowned  him 
with  thorns ;  our  epicurean  desires  for  everything  which 
struck  and  allured  our  senses,  and  our  wickedness  in  its  ten 
thousand  names  and  forms,  laid  the  horrible  whip  over  his 
tender  body,  and  inflicted  his  numberless  wounds  upon  him. 
We  did  it  —  we  did  it ;  and  well  might  our  souls  melt  with 
sorrow,  and  our  eyes  dissolve  in  tears.  The  man  who  can 
look  at  this  picture  without  a  tear  has  a  heart  of  stone. 

And  now,  my  friends,  I  ask  you,  after  you  have  done  all 
this  to  your  innocent  Saviour,  will  you  do  so  still  ?  Will  you 
still  keep  roaring  out,  "  Crucify  him  !  "  Will  you  still  betray, 
sell,  deny,  condemn,  and  bind  him  ?  Will  you  still  buffet, 
and  scourge  him,  and  mock  him  ?  If  so,  then  you  are  still 
among  the  Jews  ;  you  are  one  of  the  High  Priests  and  elders ; 
you  sit  down  with  the  Sanhedrim,  and  with  Pilate  upon  the 
judgment-seat ;  you  are  one  of  the  rude  and  barbarous  band 
of  soldiers ;  and  if  you  do  not  follow  Judas  in  his  death,  you 
will  certainly  follow  him  in  his  doom,  and  take  your  place 
for  a  long  eternity  with  all  the  enemies  of  Christ. 

III.  I  now  proceed  to  invite  all  those  who  have  forsaken, 
or  are  willing  immediately  to  forsake,  the  ranks  of  the  enemies 
of  Christ,  to  the  consideration  of  our  third  topic. 

Here  we  shall  have  to  change  our  place  once  more.  And 
it  will,  perhaps,  be  again  quite  unexpected  to  some  of  you,  if 
I  assign  you  not  a  more  honorable  place  than  that  which  you 
now  so  gladly  leave,  but  a  much  less  honorable  one.  Yes, 
the  place  we  now  take  is  much  more  mortifying,  humbling, 
and  despised,  than  the  one  we  just  occupied ;  but  it  is  also 
much  safer,  and  I  think  after  a  little  while  you  will  love  to 
be  there. 

We  now  gather  round  about  Barabbas,  "  who,  for  a  certain 


BEHOLD   YOUR   KING.  131 

sedition  made  in  the  city  and  for  murder,  was  cast  into 
prison."   (Luke  23:  19.) 

We  need  not  blush  to  get  into  his  company  ;  before  the  bar 
of  God,  we  are  already  in  it.  He  was  a  rebel  against  lawful 
civil  authority ;  he  was  a  murderer ;  he  was  caught  and 
imprisoned,  and  awaited  his  sentence  of  death.  If  you  take 
this  definition  of  his  character,  life  and  condition,  and,  remov- 
ing it  from  its  political  ground  to  the  one  of  Jehovah's  uni- 
versal theocracy ;  if  you  put  God  for  Tiberius,  the  law  of 
heaven  and  of  all  the  universe  for  the  Roman  law ;  if  you  put 
the  Son  of  God  and  your  own  and  a  thousand  other  souls  for 
simple  man  murdered,  and  for  every  transitory  and  finite 
relation,  motive  and  consequence,  in  Barabbas'  case,  its  cor- 
responding eternal  and  spiritual  reality, — -then,  what  more 
faithful  definition  of  our  character  and  our  lives  as  sinners, 
and  of  our  situation  as  prisoners  for  the  great  day  of  account, 
can  you  desire,  than  that  given  by  Luke  to  Barabbas  ?  We 
have  rebelled  against  God,  and  broken  his  holy  law ;  we  have 
slain  our  own  souls,  and  have  enticed  others  and  assisted 
them  to  do  the  same  to  themselves ;  we  have  crucified  the  Son 
of  God ;  we  are  seized  and  shut  up  in  the  hand  of  Omnipo- 
tence, and  the  dread  day  of  account  draws  near.  Before  the 
bar  of  Pilate,  indeed,  we  are  not  like  Barabbas ;  before  the 
bar  of  God  we  are  like  him. 

It  is  not  easy  to  realize  the  emotions  of  Barabbas  as  he 
stood  before  Pilate's  house,  bound  and  ready  to  be  condemned 
to  crucifixion.  What  fluctuations  of  hope  and  fear,  of  joy 
and  misgiving,  must  have  agitated  his  breast,  while  the  Jews 
strove  for  his  release  on  the  one  hand,  and  Pilate  employed 
every  means  of  persuasion,  on  the  other,  to  bring  him  into 
ruin !  One  hour  after  another  passed  away ;  neither  party 
seemed  to  yield ;  and  even  when  he  saw  the  young  Rabbi  so 


132  BEHOLD   YOUR   KING. 

severely  scourged,  Pilate's  desire  to  save  that  man  was  not 
at  all  abated,  and  the  avenging  sword  of  justice  remained  still 
hanging  over  his  own  defenceless  head.  At  last  the  crowd 
prevailed;  Pilate,  wearied  and  worn  out,  condemned  the 
innocent ;  and  he,  the  murderer,  was  dismissed  unpunished. 

Here  the  feelings  of  the  upright  man  may  be  powerfully 
roused,  and  the  most  perfect  abhorrence  at  the  unjust  pro- 
ceedings of  this  arbitrary  bar  of  so-called  justice  may  fill  his 
bosom.  But  the  eye  of  faith  doth  not  stop  at  the  bar  of 
Pilate.  Back  it  wings  its  way,  on  the  pinions  of  revelation, 
to  that  distant  but  momentous  hour  when  the  same  cause  was 
agitated  in  the  court  of  heaven,  though  pleaded  by  very  differ- 
ent pleaders ;  and  was  decided  by  the  Judge  of  all  in  the 
same  manner,  though  from  motives  as  far  above  Pilate's  as 
the  heavens  are  high  above  the  earth.  Pilate's  court  and 
sentence  are  mere  consequences  of  that,  mere  shadows  of  it 
thrown  upon  the  pages  of  the  history  of  our  globe  by  a 
thousand  refractions,  in  the  fulness  of  time.  You  all 
remember  the  passage  in  the  Revelation  of  St.  John  which 
speaks  of  the  Lamb  of  God  as  slain  "  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world."  This  points  to  a  judicial  transaction  in 
heaven  which  had  reference  to  the  redemption  of  our  race. 
We  know  the  issue ;  and  of  course  we  know,  so  far  at  least, 
also  the  decisions  of  that  holy  council. 

A  world  had  rebelled,  and  was  fallen.  The  inviolable  law 
was  broken,  and  the  world  rebellious,  being  inhabited  by 
immortal  beings,  the  penalty  of  endless  ruin  must  be  exacted ; 
for,  if  not  endless,  then  the  time  of  punishment,  however 
long,  must  needs  dwindle  into  a  mere  nothing  in  comparison 
to  an  eternity  of  bliss  that  would  follow  it,  and  therefore 
could  subserve  no  purpose  in  deterring  other  unstable  minds 
from  transgressing  the  law  still  further ;  other  equally  moment- 


BEHOLD   YOUR   KINO.  133 

ous  considerations  not  to  mention.  Countless  immortal 
minds  and  moral  agents,  apprized  of  the  rebellion,  must  have 
been  in  awful  suspense,  -whether  the  pledge  of  the  supreme 
Lawgiver  would  now  be  redeemed,  and  the  law  magnified  in 
the  eternal  destruction  of  a  fallen  world ;  or  whether  indefinite 
mercy  would  be  extended  to  them,  the  law  itself  thus  vir- 
tually abrogated,  and  the  most  alarming  and  irrevocable 
doubt  and  darkness  thrown  over  the  moral  character  of  God, 
and  the  stability  of  his  government, —  the  character  of  God, 
the  only  ground  of  hope,  the  only  warrant  for  their  holy  joys 
through  all  eternity  to  come.  Here  was  a  dreadful  alter- 
native ;  a  world  to  be  devoured  by  eternal  fire,  or  the  peace 
of  every  holy  being  taken  away.  The  latter  being  wholly 
inadmissible,  the  ruin  of  our  guilty  world  seemed  unavoidable. 
No  created  arm  could  save,  but  the  uncreated  arm  could. 
Every  sensitive  being,  as  such,  has  private  interests,  which 
can  be  sacrificed  not  only  with  no  impeachment  to  the  moral 
character  of  the  agent,  but  to  his  great  honor  and  credit. 
Scripture  and  reason  reveal  God  as  a  sensitive  being.  The 
Son  of  the  Father  could  be  given  up,  and  give  up  himself; 
the  Word  could  become  flesh,  and  make  a  free,  personal 
atonement  for  sinners.  He  was  willing.  Then  stood  this 
fallen  world, —  the  rebel,  the  murderer,  we  among  the  rest,  on 
one  side,  he  on  the  other.  Justice  pleaded  for  him,  mercy  for 
us.  Mercy  rejoiced  against  judgment.  The  great  fact  of 
Redemption  proves  it,  and  shows  the  result  and  consequences 
of  the  holy  session.  Christ  became  surety  to  the  broken 
law ;  the  rebellious  world  was  cleared.  Hitherto  the  holy, 
zealous  God,  the  just  one  who  could  not  and  would  not  clear 
the  guilty,  had  been  her  offended  Sovereign ;  now  Christ, 
the  Saviour,  the  friend  of  sinners,  the  Prince  of  peace, 
became  her  king  exclusive,  until  that  time  when  the  whole 
12 


134  BEHOLD   YOUR   KING. 

purpose  of  his  incarnation  shall  be  accomplished,  and  this 
world  return  to  her  primeval  relation  in  the  moral  universe, 
not  without  an  eternal  connection  with,  and  remembrance 
and  worship  of  their  Saviour  from  ruin.  (Compare  1  Corin- 
thians 15  :  24,  &c,  and  Revelation  5 :  12,  13.)  Christ 
thus  became  the  dispenser  of  every  mercy,  and  the  disposer 
of  every  event  and  change,  in  the  ancient  dispensation ;  and 
so  he  is  now.  He  was  the  spiritual  Rock  that  followed 
Israel  in  the  wilderness  (1  Corinthians  10 :  4) ;  in  him  did 
the  patriarchs  and  prophets  believe  and  hope ;  his  Spirit 
they  had,  his  servants  they  were.  Methinks  I  see  him  led 
forth  from  the  court  of  heaven  after  that  solemn  transaction  j 
and  while  he  is  presented  to  a  trembling  world  of  perishing 
sinners  who  had  forfeited  their  blessed  relation  to  a  holy  and 
just  God,  I  hear  the  joyful  proclamation  made  by  angel 
choirs  accompanied  by  the  harpers  of  heaven  harping  with 
their  harps,  ' '  Behold  your  King,  behold  your  King,  ye  trem- 
bling sinners !  Take  fresh  courage,  and  strike  up  a  joyful 
hymn  of  praise  !  The  great  case  is  decided ;  mercy  has 
triumphed  ;  the  sentence  is  passed,  recorded,  and  sealed  with 
the  seal  of  eternity.  Your  sins  are  his ;  his  righteousness  is 
yours  ;  and  let  every  perishing  sinner  now  gather  up  close  to 
him  who  can  and  will  save  his  soul  from  death." 

My  soul  stands  erect  with  joy ;  my  steadfast  eye  looks 
down  into  the  prison  of  the  arch-fiend,  and  my  unfaltering 
voice  demands,  "Who  shall  lay  anything  to  the  charge  of 
God's  elect?  "  I  glance  over  the  plains  of  heaven, —  nor  do 
I  shrink  as  my  eye  approaches  the  cloud,  and  the  darkness 
which  hides  from  created  eyes  the  consuming  brightness  of 
that  inaccessible  light  in  which  God  himself  dwelleth, —  and 
I  ask,  with  a  boldness  tempered  with  humility  and  awe,  but 
not  with  fear,  "Who  is  he  that  condemneth?" — But  I  look 


BEHOLD   YOUR   KING.  135 

also  down  to  earth,  and  as  I  behold  the  bar  of  Pilate  again, 
and  there  see  the  meek,  lowly,  innocent,  the  perfect,  the  holy, 
divine,  maltreated  Jesus,  the  very  instant  melts  both  heart 
and  eye,  and  that  all-conquering  love  which  triumphed  in 
heaven  triumphs  also  in  the  sinful  breast,  and  forth  bursts 
the  involuntary  exclamation,  "Who  shall  separate  me  from 
the  love  of  Christ?  Shall  tribulation,  or  distress,  or  perse- 
cution, or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword?"  No, 
never  !  "  Neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principal- 
ities, nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor 
height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to 
separate  us  from  the  love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord." 

I  lead  him  forth  once  more, —  "Behold  your  King." 
Drink  in,  in  draughts  long  and  full,  the  precious  impression 
of  the  scene.  Every  feature  is  a  fountain  of  spiritual  joys, 
and  a  storehouse  of  omnipotent  motives  to  a  holy  life.  Mark 
the  paleness  of  his  countenance,  the  sadness  of  his  downcast 
eye,  the  sweat  of  anguish  mingled  with  blood  on  his  brow, 
and  flowing  down  his  breast  and  shoulders  and  arms ;  then 
turn  to  the  fashionable  vanities  of  this  world,  and  they  will 
appear  as  they  ought, —  "  base  as  the  dirt  beneath  your  feet." 
Look  at  the  nudity  of  his  insulted  body,  and  see  then  how 
accumulated  riches  will  appear  !  Bring  hither  all  the  pomp 
and  dress,  the  crowns,  purples  and  sceptres  of  earth,  put  them 
beside  his  crown  of  thorns,  his  ragged  purple  robe,  and  his 
reed,  and  say,  if  you  could  choose  them,  could  you  parade  in 
them  ?  Witness  the  meekness  of  his  conduct,  the  silence  of 
his  lips  while  thousands  cry  out  "Crucify  him  !  Crucify  him ! " 
and  then  dare  repine  at  sufferings  for  his  name's  sake,  and 
retort  injuries  to  your  persecutors  !  In  one  word,  look  at 
Him,  and  then  attempt  it,  and  follow  the  world  again  if  you 


136  BEHOLD   YOUR  KING. 

can.  I  know  you  cannot,  you  will  not.  He  who  can  and 
will  do  this  is  a  demon,  not  a  man ;  and  the  sovereign 
remedy  of  salvation  having  failed  to  meet  his  case,  he  will  go 
to  the  fire  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels. 

"  Behold  your  king  !  "  —  Now  you  hear  it  from  lips  of 
dust,  and  you  rejoice,  brethren.  You  rejoice  to  behold  him, 
the  despised  and  rejected,  crowned  with  thorns,  beaten, 
bruised,  clothed  in  rags  of  mockery,  and  near  to  an  igno- 
minious death.  He  is  your  king,  the  condemned  at  Pilate's 
bar.  But,  as  you  stand  at  Pilate's  bar  around  him  whom 
your  soul  loveth,  look  up  !  Do  you  see  the  blue  sky  over 
you  1  From  thence  he  will  come  ere  long,  and  will  not  tarry. 
Then  will  he  wear  a  crown,  not  of  thorns,  but  of  thousand 
thousand  suns.  Then  his  imperial  garment,  not  a  robe  of 
purple  dust,  but  one  inwoven  with  light,  will  blaze  like  an 
ocean  of  melted  diamond,  and  seraphs  will  hide  their  faces. 
Then,  not  a  reed,  but  the  omnipotent  sceptre  of  the  uni- 
verse, will  grace  his  pierced  hand.  He  will  not  stand  then  to 
be  judged  of  ungrateful  worms,  but  he  will  sit  to  judge  the 
world  in  righteousness.  No  clamorous  Jews,  no  profane 
heathens,  will  crowd  his  sacred  person ;  but  submissive  angels 
without  number  will  surround  him  in  respectful  distance,  to 
fly  to  the  execution  of  his  nod.  His  lips  will  not  be  silent, 
but  will  speak,  in  the  harmonious  accents  of  heaven,  eternal 
peace  to  the  righteous,  and  shake  earth  and  hell  with  the 
thunder  of  his  just  irrevocable  sentence.  The  new  heavens 
will  proclaim  it  with  joy,  He  is  our  king  !  the  new  earth  will 
echo  back  the  joyful  sentence;  and  as  the  swelling  sound 
rolls  on  and  breaks  at  last  upon  the  distant  gates  of  hell, 
Omnipotence  will  extort  from  its  reprobated  inmates  the  con- 
fession,—  "He  whom  we  crowned  with  thorns,  mocked,  buf- 
feted, and  crucified,  rules  the  universe  with  the  sceptre  of  his 


BEHOLD   YOUR   KING.  137 

love,  or  the  iron  rod  of  his  insufferable  indignation.  Every 
knee  shall  bow  unto  him,  and  every  tongue  confess  him 
Lord. 

Take  it  with  you,  brethren  and  sisters,  the  dear  word, — 
"Behold  your  King!"  Behold  him  by  faith,  while  you 
sojourn  here  below,  and  soon,  soon  you  shall  see  him  as  he  is. 
The  unconverted  of  my  hearers  may  retire  at  this  time  with 
the  solemn  admonition  of  the  Psalmist :  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  he 
be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the  way  when  his  wrath  is 
kindled  but  a  little.  Blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust 
in  him !     Amen. 

12* 


VII. 

THE  SCENE  OF  GOLGOTHA. 

And  as  they  came  out,  they  found  a  man  of  Cyrene,  Simon  by  name  : 
him  they  compelled  to  bear  his  cross.  And  when  they  were  come  unto  a 
place  called  Golgotha,  that  is  to  say,  a  place  of  a  skull,  they  gave  him 
vinegar  to  drink,  mingled  with  gall :  and  when  he  had  tasted  thereof,  he 
would  not  drink.  And  they  crucified  him,  and  parted  his  garments,  cast- 
ing lots,  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet,  They 
parted  my  garments  among  them,  and  upon  my  vesture  did  they  cast  lots. 
And  sitting  down,  they  watched  him  there  :  and  set  up  over  his  head  his 
accusation,  written,  THIS  IS  JESUS  THE  KING  OF  THE  JEWS.  Then 
were  there  two  thieves  crucified  with  him  ;  one  on  the  right  hand,  and 
another  on  the  left.  And  they  that  passed  by  reviled  him,  wagging  their 
heads,  and  saying,  Thou  that  destroyest  the  temple,  and  buildest  it  in  three 
days,  save  thyself.  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from  the  cross. 
Likewise  also  the  Chief  Priests,  mocking  him,  with  the  Scribes  and  Elders, 
said,  He  saved  others,  himself  he  cannot  save.  If  he  be  the  King  of  Israel, 
let  him  now  come  down  from  the  cross,  and  we  will  believe  him.  He 
trusted  in  God,  let  him  deliver  him  now,  if  he  will  have  him  ;  for  he  said, 
I  am  the  Son  of  God.  The  thieves  also,  which  were  crucified  with  him, 
cast  the  same  in  his  teeth.  Now  from  the  sixth  hour  there  was  darkness 
over  all  the  land  unto  the  ninth  hour.  And  about  the  ninth  hour  Jesus 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabachthani  ?  that  is  to  say, 
My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?  Some  of  them  that  stood 
there,  when  they  heard  that,  said,  This  man  calleth  for  Elias.  And 
straightway  one  of  them  ran,  and  took  a  sponge,  and  filled  it  with  vinegar, 
and  put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  him  to  drink.  The  rest  said,  Let  be  ;  let 
us  see  whether  Elias  will  come  to  save  him.  Jesus,  when  he  had  cried 
again  with  a  loud  voice,  yielded  up  the  ghost.  And  behold,  the  vail  of  the 
temple  was  rent  in  twain  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  ;  and  the  earth  did 


THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA.  139 

quake,  and  the  rocks  rent  ;  and  the  graves  were  opened  ;  and  many  bodies 
of  saints  which  slept  arose  and  came  out  of  the  graves  after  his  resurrec- 
tion, and  went  into  the  holy  city  and  appeared  unto  many.  Now  when  the 
centurion,  and  they  that  were  with  him  watching  Jesus,  saw  the  earth- 
quake, and  those  things  that  were  done,  they  feared  greatly,  saying,  Truly 
this  was  the  Son  of  God.  And  many  women  were  there  beholding  afar  off, 
which  followed  Jesus  from  Galilee,  ministering  unto  him  ;  among  which 
was  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James  and  Joses,  and  the 
mother  of  Zebedee's  children.  —  Matthew  27  :  32 — 56.  (Compare  Mark 
15  :  21—41  ;  Luke  23  :  26—49  ;  John  19  :  17—37.) 

If  we  were  called  upon  to  be  present  at  the  death-bed  of 
one  of  our  most  endeared  friends, —  perhaps  that  of  a  tender- 
hearted and  faithful  father,  or  of  a  pious  praying  mother,  or 
of  a  dear,  well-tried  partner,  or  of  a  godly  brother  or  sister, 
or  a  beloved  child, —  certainly  we  should  prepare  ourselves  to 
attend  the  solemn  and  affecting  scene  with  the  most  collected 
and  serious  frame  of  mind.  At  the  sufferings  and  the  strug- 
gles of  the  beloved  object,  the  most  tender  emotions  would 
agitate  our  breast.  Our  bosoms  would  heave  with  his  bosom, 
and  our  eye  would  melt  with  every  painful  motion  of  his 
countenance.  We  should  suffer,  we  should  agonize,  we  should 
die,  as  it  were,  with  him.  At  the  near  and  awful  view  of 
eternity  and  eternal  things,  the  oblivion  of  earth  and  of  every 
perishable  object  would,  like  an  impenetrable  curtain,  draw 
itself  around  us  and  the  couch  of  our  departing  friend,  and 
for  one  hour  at  least  —  an  hour  of  deep  interest  and  of  incal- 
culable bearings  upon  our  own  approaching  death  and  future 
state  —  it  would  wipe  out  the  usurpated  importance  of  sub- 
lunary things  ;  and  we  should  feel,  perhaps  for  the  first  time, 
that  there  is  but  a  step  between  us  and  between  death,  the 
grave,  judgment  and  heaven,  or  hell,  and  —  what  throws  a 
mountain-weight  of  importance   into  the  scale  of  all  this  — 


140  THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA. 

that  eternity  which  will   then   seal   our  state,  and  put  a 
period  to  time,  probation  and  change,  forever. 

But  what  if  the  dying  friend  of  our  heart  had  been  brought 
upon  the  bed  of  anguish  and  death  for  our  sakes  ?  What  if 
he  had  saved  us  from  drowning  by  throwing  himself  after  us 
into  the  deep, —  had  seized  upon  us  with  the  determination 
not  to  let  us  go  while  life  and  strength  remained  in  him, — 
was  hastening  into  the  grave  by  the  consequences  of  over- 
exertion, and  wished  now  to  see  us  once  more,  and  rejoicing 
that  we  are  but  saved,  desired  to  bid  us  the  last  farewell  ? 
What  if  he  had  rescued  us  from  the  swords  or  guns  of  our 
enemies  that  were  stronger  than  we,  and  was  now  dying  with 
the  deep  and  remediless  wounds  which  he  then  received  ?  Or 
if  he  had  dashed  through  the  flames  of  our  dwelling  to  pluck 
us  from  the  bed  of  languishing,  and  to  carry  us  out  into  a 
place  of  safety  and  comfort,  and  we,  recovered  and  in  health, 
were  now  called  upon  to  listen  to  his  dying  groans  1  What  a 
torrent  of  emotion  would  rush  upon  us  !  Feelings  of  obliga- 
tion and  a  sense  of  gratitude  due  to  him,  almost  insufferable, 
would  overwhelm  us  ;  sympathies,  tender  as  the  softest  chord 
of  a  mother's  bosom,  would  thrill  through  every  nerve  of  our 
frame ;  and  the  ardent  wish  now  to  die  for  him  would  be 
but  the  voice  of  fallen  nature.  All  this,  -and  infinitely  more, 
comes  before  us  to-day,  my  friends.  Our  friend  dieth, —  our 
best  friend  in  heaven  and  on  earth ;  our  brother  dieth, —  our 
beloved,  our  faithful  brother ;  our  Lord,  the  Saviour  of  our 
perishing  souls,  our  eternal  King,  draws  near  the  fatal  hour. 
Sorrows  are  rushing  upon  him  like  the  foaming  waves  of  the 
ocean;  and  death  in  its  most  appalling  form,  death  in  its 
royal  pomp  of  terror,  death  with  its  most  chosen  weapons  of 
torture,  has  marched  forth,  stands  in  battle  array  about  him, 
and  has  levelled  the  whole  artillery  of  hell  at  his  broken  heart. 


THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA.  141 

r 

From  heaven  he  came  down ;  he  dashed  in  among  the  powers 
of  darkness  and  into  the  jaws  of  death  and  hell,  to  rescue  us 
from  thence;  and  he  did  it.  But  not  without  the  mortal 
wound  predicted  by  the  word  of  prophecy.  He  dies  :  he  dies 
for  us ;  he  dies  that  we  might  live ;  and  he  calls  us  to-day  to 
gather  around  his  dying  bed.  His  dying  bed !  0,  that  it 
was  a  bed  !  Alas  !  it  is  his  dying  cross, —  a  rough  block, 
to  which  he  is  nailed  in  the  most  painful  position;  not  a 
soft  pillow  on  which  he  rests, —  it  is  the  shameful,  painful, 
accursed  tree. 

Let  us  draw  near,  then,  with  that  solemnity  of  mind  befit- 
ting the  scene  of  our  consideration,  and  we  shall  not  draw 
near  in  vain.  Sweet  consolations  and  comforts,  precious 
above  gold  and  pearls,  will  flow  from  his  wounded  side ;  and 
the  impressions  which  the  beauty  of  his  sufferings  and  death 
will  then  make  upon  us  will  be  such  as  heaven  and  eternity 
will  only  deepen  and  purify,  but  never,  never  efface. 

We  shall  have  time  merely  to  pass  over  the  account  of  our 
Lord's  crucifixion,  without  any  further  subdivision ;  and  all 
that  I  shall  endeavor  to  do  will  be  to  add  such  remarks  to 
the  passages  of  Scripture  which  will  need  to  be  quoted  as 
will  give  us  the  fullest  possible  idea  of  the  event  which  we  are 
capable  of  receiving. 

The  scene  of  our  present  text  was  preceded  by  the  capture 
of  Christ,  his  arraignment  before  Pilate,  and  his  condemna- 
tion and  flagellation.  The  sentence  of  his  death  was  no 
sooner  pronounced,  when,  after  a  short  repetition  of  the 
insults  already  offered  to  him  previous  to  his  condemnation, 
he  was  hurried  to  the  place  of  execution.  This  was  the 
usual  practice ;  and  in  this  case  it  became  the  more  necessary, 
since  the  great  Feast  of  the  Passover  was  close  at  hand. 

It  would  be  a  vain  endeavor  to  trace  the  way  by  which 


142  THE   SCENE    OF   GOLGOTHA. 

Christ  went  out  of  the  city,  since  we  are  utterly  unable  to 
tell  where  the  house  of  Pilate  stood.  Nay,  not  even  of  the 
hill  of  Golgotha  has  there  remained  a  trace,  after  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  city.  For  the  hill  now  exhibited  under  that  name 
is  far  from  being  the  one ;  and  the  awe  with  which  thousands 
approach  that  spot,  and  the  idolatry  which  they  practise 
there,  are  equally  without  the  shadow  of  a  foundation. 

' '  And  he,  bearing  his  cross,  went  forth ; ; ' —  so  John.  This 
was  the  custom  of  the  time,  and  a  part  of  the  punishment. 
It  is  probable  that  a  quantity  of  crosses  were  always  kept  on 
hand  by  Pilate,  lying  in  his  yard  or  standing  in  the 
judgment-hall,  and  that  our  Lord  took  up  the  one  designed 
for  him  on  that  spot.  "  And  there  were  also  two  other  male- 
factors led  with  him  to  be  put  to  death." —  Luke  23  :  32. 

A  cross  was  a  block  of  wood,  of  considerable  thickness,  and 
sufficiently  high  to  be  driven  at  least  two  feet  into  the  ground, 
and  then  still  to  stand  out  far  enough  to  raise  the  individ- 
ual fastened  upon  it  about  three  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
earth.  Adding  to  this  the  usual  length  of  a  man,  nine  or 
ten  feet  of  height  must  be  allowed  to  a  cross.  To  this  block, 
near  the  upper  end,  was  fastened  a  cross  piece  of  five  or  six 
feet  in  length  (the  arms  and  the  breast  of  a  man  being  equal 
to  his  height)  ;  and  thus  the  whole  of  a  cross  would  amount 
to  a  beam  of  timber  from  fifteen  to  sixteen  feet  in  length. 

No  wonder,  then,  that  our  Lord,  after  the  cruel  treatment 
he  had  experienced  since  the  preceding  night,  and  especially 
after  his  horrid  flagellation  and  the  serious  loss  of  blood 
occasioned  by  it,  was  unable  to  bear  upon  his  lacerated 
shoulders  so  considerable  a  weight  as  his  cross  must  have 
been.  Tradition  would  make  us  believe  that  he  fell  three 
times  under  his  burden.  That  he  did  fall  once,  at  least,  is  in 
the  highest  degree  probable,  from  the  nature  of  the  case, 


THE   SCENE    OF   GOLGOTHA.  143 

even  if  the  tradition  alluded  to  deserves  no  attention.  At  all 
events,  the  aid  which  his  executioners  allowed  him,  when 
they  compelled  Simon  of  Cyrene,  probably  a  believer,  to  bear, 
or  to  help  him  bear,  his  cross,  evidently  shows  that  he  was 
unable  to  proceed  unassisted  with  the  expedition  they  desired ; 
for  pity,  we  have  already  seen,  is  not  what  we  can  reasonably 
expect  to  have  led  them  to  this  measure.  Rather  shall  we 
have  to  suppose  that  every  severity  was  previously  exercised 
by  them,  by  way  of  scolding,  pushing  and  striking,  to  make 
him  perform  the  task  unassisted,  and  that  in  allowing  him 
help  they  yielded  only  to  absolute  necessity. 

Notwithstanding  the  early  hour  and  the  approaching  feast, 
Luke  informs  us  "there  followed  him  a  great  company  of 
people,  and  of  women,  which  latter  also  bewailed  and  lamented 
him."  (Luke  23:  27—31.)  Many  of  the  most  intimate 
friends  of  our  Lord  must  have  been  present  at  Jerusalem  on 
account  of  the  Passover.  Many  of  the  pious  women,  too, 
who  had  ministered  unto  him  of  their  substance,  must  have 
been  there.  Some  of  them,  indeed,  we  shall  meet  hereafter. 
When  the  affrighted  disciple3  dispersed,  the  night  previous, 
we  must,  of  course,  suppose  that,  having  no  homes  of  their 
own  at  Jerusalem,  they  scattered  abroad,  and  hid  themselves 
wherever  they  knew  a  disciple  of  Christ ;  and  it  is  not  even 
improbable  that  some  crossed  the  Mount  of  Olives,  to  bear 
the  sad  tidings  to  their  own  and  their  Master's  beloved  friends 
at  Bethany.  It  is  therefore  not  surprising  that,  towards  the 
close  of  the  iniquitous  transactions  at  Pilate's  bar,  a  considerable 
number  of  well-disposed  and  pious  persons  were  gathered 
together.  Their  silent  grief  and  tears  would  easily  rouse  the 
sympathies  of  many  among  the  people,  whose  pliable  and  un- 
stable hearts  yielded  to  every  impression  of  grief  or  joy,  of 
seriousness  or  dissipation, —  a  class  of  persons  which  has  ever 


144  THE   SCENE    OF   GOLGOTHA. 

been  numerous,  especially  among  the  female  sex ;  and  thus  we 
need  not  wonder  that  a  multitude  of  women,  who  could  just 
as  well  laugh  and  sport  the  next  hour,  now  burst  out  in  weep- 
ing and  wailing  and  lamentations.  I  do  not  say  that  the  pious 
friends  of  Christ  and  the  godly  women  who  had  supported 
him  did  not  weep.  I  believe  they  did  ;  and  what  an  adaman- 
tine heart  must  that  have  been  which  could  not  be  melted 
into  tender  sorrow  at  the  affecting  sight!  But  excess  of 
grief  is  seldom  the  fault  of  the  pious  ;  and  the  answer  of  our 
Lord  evidently  concerns  those  who,  with  their  children,  were 
to  be  the  unhappy  sharers  in  the  overthrow  of  their  devoted 
city.  "Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me,  but  for 
yourselves  and  for  your  children.  For  behold,  the  days  are 
coming  in  which  they  shall  say,  Blessed  are  the  barren,  and 
the  wombs  that  never  bare,  and  the  paps  which  never  gave 
suck.  Then  shall  they  begin  to  say  to  the  mountains,  Fall 
on  us ;  and  to  the  hills,  Cover  us ;  for  if  they  do  these  things 
in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ?  " 

About  the  third  hour  of  the  day,  according  to  Mark 
(15  :  23),  that  is,  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  they 
arrived  at  the  place  of  execution.  According  to  the  evan- 
gelist John  (19 :  14,  15),  Christ  was  not  condemned  until 
the  sixth  hour,  and  of  course  could  not  have  been  upon 
Golgotha  at  the  third  hour.  There  are  manuscripts  which 
exhibit  in  John  the  reading  the  "third  hour"  instead  of 
"the  sixth;"  and  the  author  of  the  "Alexandrine  Chron- 
icle "  declares  that  in  the  autograph  of  John,  kept  in  the 
church  of  Ephesus,  the  reading  was  actually  (j>v  hcrel  uga 
TC'T7?)j  it  was  about  the  third  hour.  Thus  John  and  Mark 
would  agree.  But  be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  easy  to  suppose 
that  John  commenced  his  reckoning  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  night ;  perhaps  with  the  time  when  Christ  was  condemned 


THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA.  145 

by  the  Sanhedrim,  or  some  other  period  which  was  prominent 
in  his  mind.  At  all  events,  the  statement  of  Mark  is,  that 
which  commences  with  the  rising  sun.  For,  according  to 
Matthew  and  Mark,  the  sun  was  not  darkened  till  about  the 
sixth  hour,  and  not,  too,  until  Christ  had  been  hanging  on 
the  tree  for  some  time,  and  abused  by  the  Jews  and  the  peo- 
ple, and  until  his  garments  had  been  parted,  and  various 
other  things  had  transpired. 

On  arriving  at  the  place  of  execution,  they  commence  by 
offering  to  Christ  "  vinegar  mingled  with  gall,"  as  Matthew 
says ;  which  is  explained  by  Mark  to  have  been  "  wine  min- 
gled with  myrrh."  This  vinegar  (of  Matthew)  or  wine 
(according  to  Mark)  was  wine  spiced  with  myrrh  for  the 
purpose  of  intoxication.  "  When  any  person,"  says  the  Tal- 
mud of  Babylon,  "  was  brought  forth  to  be  put  to  death, 
they  gave  him  to  drink  some  frankincense  in  a  cup  of  wine, 
that  it  might  stupefy  him,  as  it  is  said,  Give  strong  drink  to 
him  that  is  ready  to  perish,  and  wine  to  those  that  be  of 
heavy  hearts."  And  there  is  a  tradition  that  the  gentle- 
women of  Jerusalem  afforded  this  of  their  good  will.  (Lightf. 
in.  p.  164.)  Christ  refused  this  beverage,  for  reasons  too 
obvious  to  be  mentioned. 

Then  they  proceed  to  the  crucifixion  without  delay. 
The  cross  I  have  already  described,  as  to  its  shape  and  size. 
The  usual  manner  in  which  malefactors  were  pj*t  to  the  cross 
was  the  following :  The  cross  was  first  driven  into  the 
ground.  Into  the  perpendicular  post,  about  the  middle,  there 
was  driven  a  peg,  or  wooden  pin,  upon  which  the  victim  was 
to  sit  while  he  remained  on  the  cross,  lest  the  weight  of  his 
body  should  tear  his  hands  from  the  nails,  and  he  fall  pros- 
trate to  the  ground.  Then  the  criminal,  stripped  of  his  dress, 
except  something  wound  around  about  the  lower  part  of  his 
18 


146  THE   SCENE    OF   GOLGOTHA. 

body,  by  a  ladder  ascended  the  cross,  or,  if  unable  or  unwil- 
ling to  do  so,  was  raised  to  it  by  the  executioners.  He  was 
set  upon  the  peg,  his  hands  and  feet  were  tied  with  ropes  to 
their  respective  places,  to  prevent  motion,  and  then  nails  were 
driven  through  them  into  the  timber,  the  ropes  taken  off,  and 
the  sufferer  left  to  die. 

Lately,  infidelity  would  make  us  believe  that  to  nail  the 
feet  of  malefactors  to  the  cross  was  never  practised;  that 
their  hands  only  were  fastened  with  nails,  but  their  feet  simply 
with  ropes.  The  Christian  church,  it  is  said,  pretended  that 
the  feet  of  Christ  were  nailed  on  merely  to  save  the  credit  of 
a  certain  passage  in  the  twenty-second  Psalm,  which  they 
think  represents  him  in  that  predicament.  To  this  we  reply 
that  the  assertion  has  been  made  without  any  proof ;  that  the 
early  members  of  the  Christian  church  had  abundant  oppor- 
tunity to  know  the  way  in  which  men  used  to  be  crucified ; 
and  that  the  very  history  of  our  Lord's  resurrection  proves 
positively,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter,  that  both  the  hands  and 
the  feet  of  Christ  were  nailed  to  the  cross.  While  the  soldiers 
are  nailing  his  hands  and  feet  to  the  tree,  Christ  offers  up  his 
intercessory  prayer  for  them,  and  for  all  who  were  ignorantly 
engaged  in  his  crucifixion, —  a  prayer  whose  beauty  will 
never  be  sufliciently  admired.  Christ  being  fastened  to  the 
tree  and  left  by  the  executioners,  and  while  they  are  putting 
up  the  two  tl^eves,  one  on  his  right,  the  other  on  his  left,  to 
mark  him,  according  to  the  desire  of  the  High  Priest,  as  the 
chief  criminal,  there  was  again  opportunity  for  abuse,  of 
which  the  High  Priests  and  other  bystanders  avail  themselves, 
with  a  readiness  and  zeal  which  would  sink  them  below  the 
beasts  of  the  field,  even  if  their  victim  had  been  guilty  of  all 
with  which  they  falsely  charged  him.  Not  an  ungenerous, 
brutish,  ferocious  spirit  they  exhibit,  but  an  infernal,  satanic 


THE   SCENE   OF    GOLGOTHA.  147 

one ;  and  while  the  Roman  soldiers  fulfil  one  part  of  the 
twenty-second  Psalm,  by  dividing  and  casting  lots  for  Jesus' 
garments,  they  fulfil  another  part  of  it,  by  spitting  out  their 
venom  in  the  very  words  of  that  portion  of  Holy  Writ.  Our 
Lord's  prophecy  respecting  his  resurrection  is  again  distorted 
by  them,  and  made  an  instrument  of  cruel  mockery;  his 
rightful  claims  to  be  the  true  Messiah  and  the  King  of  Israel, 
his  piety  and  trust  in  God, —  nay,  his  innumerable  benefits 
bestowed  upon  the  poor,  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,  for 
whom  these  sanctimonious  hierarchs  cared  nothing, —  all,  all 
is  converted  into  reproach  and  poison,  and  is  hurled  into  his 
face.  The  innumerable  evidences  he  had  given  of  his  divine 
mission  are  sneered  at ;  and  a  boastful  descent  from  the  cross 
—  a  thing  directly  opposed  to  his  heavenly  spirit  and  his 
Father's  will  —  is  mockingly  made  the  condition  of  their 
belief  and  submission. 

There  they  are,  crowding  around  the  cross  at  a  distance,  at 
most,  of  two  or  three  steps ;  and,  as  he  was  raised  but  about 
three  feet  from  the  ground,  the  encounter  must  have  been  a 
close  one,  and  he  must  have  been  able  to  hear  every  whisper 
and  hissing,  and  to  discern  every  spiteful  distortion  of  their 
faces.  Wagging  their  heads,  as  a  sign  of  wonder  and  con- 
tempt, they  rail  at  him,  saying,  "  Ah,  thou  that  destroy  est 
the  temple  and  buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself!  If 
thou  be  the  Son  of  God  (that  is,  the  Messiah),  come  down 
from  the  cross  !  "  Thus  those  who  passed  by.  But  the 
High  Priests  know  how  to  wound  him  deeper.  They  talk  to 
one  another  in  his  hearing ;  and  their  gestures  —  you  may 
imagine  what  they  were.  "  He  saved  others,  himself  he 
cannot  save.  If  he  be  the  King  of  Israel,  let  him  come 
down  from  the  cross,  and  we  will  believe  him.  He  trusted 
in  God;  let  him  deliver  him  now,  if  he  will  have  him;  for  he 


148  THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA. 

said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God  !  "  (Matthew  27 :  40—43.)  Yea, 
was  the  reply  of  others,  "  Let  Christ,  the  King  of  Israel, 
descend  now  from  the  cross,  that  we  may  see  and  believe." 
(Mark  15 :  32.)  Like-feeling  spirits  easily  mingle,  and 
hence  the  Roman  soldiers  and  one  of  the  thieves  heartily  join 
in  their  abuses  of  Christ.  "  If  thou  be  the  King  of  Israel, 
save  thyself,"  the  band  exclaims;  and  the  reprobate  malefac- 
tor, railing  on  him,  roars  out,  saying,  "  If  thou  be  Christ, 
save  thyself  and  us."  (Luke  23 :  39.) 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  penitent  thief  received  the 
pardon  of  his  sins  and  the  promise  of  heaven.  This  subject, 
however,  forming,  as  it  will,  our  next  Meditation,  must  now 
be  passed  over  in  silence.  After  some  hours  of  abuse,  many 
of  the  Jews  must  have  been  called  away  by  the  preparations 
of  the  feast,  or  else  they  had  spent  their  rage.  Then  some 
of  the  beloved  of  our  Lord  were  permitted  to  draw  near  his 
cross.  "  There  stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus  his  mother,  and 
his  mother's  sister,  Mary,  the  wife  of  Cleophas,  and  Mary 
Magdalene  and  the  disciple  "  (that  is,  John).  Turning  his 
eyes  to  his  mother  and  his  beloved  disciple,  he  recommends 
her  to  the  care  of  the  pious  youth.  This  was  probably  near 
noon,  and  Christ  had  hardly  made  provision  for  his  aged 
mother,  when  darkness  without  and  darkness  within  filled  the 
cup  of  his  sufferings.  "  Now  from  the  sixth  hour  (noon) 
there  was  darkness  over  all  the  land  unto  the  ninth  hour." 
(Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke.)  This  dreadful  darkness  of 
three  hours  was  the  preparation  for  a  powerful  earthquake, 
which,  however,  probably  did  not  precede,  but  followed,  the 
death  of  Christ.  It  was  not  an  ordinary  eclipse  of  the  sun, 
for  it  was  now  the  full  moon.  During  near  the  whole  time 
of  darkness,  Christ  seems  to  have  been  silent,  as  also  his 
afflicted  friends,  who  stood  near  the  cross  weeping  and  mourn- 


THE   SCENE    OF    GOLGOTHA.  149 

mg.  The  revilings  both  of  the  Jews  and  the  Romans  seem 
to  have  ceased,  and  an  awful  waiting  of  what  was  to  come 
next  seems  to  have  suspended  every  exercise  of  their  minds 
and  stopped  their  mouths. 

But  so  much  the  more  powerful  were  the  inward  workings 
of  the  mind  of  Christ.  A  new  trial,  equally  unexpected  and 
terrible,  draws  near, —  inward  desertion  of  God.  But  a  few 
hours  before,  Christ  said  to  his  disciples:  "  Behold  the  hour 
cometh,  yea,  is  now  come,  that  ye  shall  be  scattered,  every 
man  to  his  own,  and  shall  leave  me  alone  ;  and  yet  I  am 
not  alone,  because  the  Father  is  with  me."  Before  the 
Sanhedrim,  Pilate  and  Herod,  he  had  exhibited  all  the  dig- 
nity of  suffering  holiness ;  by  the  way,  as  he  was  bending 
under  his  heavy  cross,  he  had  yet  sympathies  for  his  perish- 
ing nation,  and  could  declare  that  his  condition  —  that  of 
oppressed  innocence  —  was  preferable  to  theirs,  which  was 
that  of  suffering  wickedness  and  unbelief.  On  being  nailed 
to  the  cross,  he  could  yet  say,  "  Father,  forgive  them  ;"  under 
the  abuses  of  the  Jews  and  the  heathen,  he  felt  yet  that  his 
judgment  was  with  the  Lord,  and  his  work  acceptable  with 
his  God  ;  and  he  had  yet  a  Paradise  to  hope  for,  and  to  impart 
to  a  repenting  sinner ;  and  a  few  minutes  before  the  darkness 
spread  over  the  land,  he  had  calmness  of  mind  sufficient  to 
provide  for  the  temporal  comforts  of  his  mother.  But  now 
his  mind  is  overwhelmed  with  distressing  doubts.  He  knows 
no  more  what  to  think  of  himself,  of  his  Father  in  heaven, 
of  his  cause,  of  his  own  sufferings  and  death,  of  his  prospects, 
of  God's  promises,  of  this  perishing  world.  In  vain  he 
struggles  for  light  and  assurance;  cloud  upon  cloud  rises, 
billow  upon  billow  rushes  towering  over  his  soul,  while  he 
bears  it  for  the  space  of  three  hours  in  silent  horror  of  soul, 
yet  in  the  exercise  of  perfect  submission  to  the  will  of  the 
13* 


150  THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA. 

holy  and  offended  Majesty  of  heaven.  He  is  sinking  into 
"  deep  mire  where  there  is  no  standing  ;  "  he  feels  his  soul 
descending  "into  deep  waters;"  the  floods  overflow  him;  he 
is  weary  of  crying ;  his  throat  is  dried  and  hoarse ;  his  eyes 
are  failing  fast ;  while  he  is  waiting  —  long,  and,  alas  !  in 
vain,  it  seems  —  for  his  God.  His  breast  is  full  to  bursting, 
and  out  of  the  abundance  of  his  heart  his  mouth  speaketh. 
And  what  do  you  think  he  spoke?  "And  about  the  ninth 
hour  (three  o'clock)  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying, 
Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabachthani  ?  that  is  to  say,  My  God,  my  God, 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  (Matthew  27:  46.)  He 
dares  not  say,  My  Father !  he  calls  him  his  God, —  a  discon- 
solate exclamation.  True  he  calls  him,  My  God.  Every 
believer  who  has  experienced  something  like  it  knows  what 
I  say.  God  is  the  God  of  every  creature ;  he  is  and  ever 
will  be  the  God  of  fallen  spirits, —  but,  alas  !  their  angry, 
their  offended  God.  The  expression  "My  God"  marks  but 
too  well  the  almost  distance  at  which  Jesus  felt  himself  to 
be  from  that  Father  in  whose  bosom  he  had  been  through  all 
eternity  past,  in  infinite  delight  and  divine  intimacy  and  har- 
mony. It  was  the  hiding  of  God's  countenance,  the  utter 
absence  of  his  presence ;  spiritual  darkness  and  drought, 
accompanied  as  it  always  is  by  the  fiery  darts  of  the  adver- 
sary hurled  by  torrents  into  the  distressed  soul.  But  what 
such  darkness  and  separation  from  heaven  must  have  been  to 
him  who  had  always  enjoyed  the  light  of  God's  countenance, 
I  do  not  presume  to  conjecture. 

It  does  not,  however,  seem  to  have  been  necessary  for  our 
salvation,  nor  proper  in  the  judgment  of  the  Holy  One,  that 
his  equally  holy  child  Jesus  should  remain  long  in  this  dis- 
consolate condition.  After  three  hours  the  darkness  passes ; 
but  only  to  render  him  sensible  to  another,  and,  indeed,  to  the 


THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA.  151 

most  distressing  natural  inconvenience  attending  crucifixion, 
—  to  thirst.  Pain  is  conditioned  upon  the  existence  of 
nerves,  and  our  hands  and  feet  belong  to  those  parts  of  our 
frame  in  which  the  greatest  number  of  nerves  converge.  The 
wounds  therefore  inflicted  upon  the  hands  and  feet  of  the  man 
who  was  crucified  soon  excited  a  high  and  scorching  wound- 
fever.  It  is  peculiar  to  the  wound-fever  to  break  down 
effectually  the  spirit  of  man ;  and  there  is  no  hero  known 
who,  on  being  seized  by  it,  did  not  become  the  most  trembling 
coward,  and  take  to  the  most  precipitate  flight,  if  he  could. 
But  the  thirst  of  those  condemned  to  crucifixion  raged  with  a 
force  quite  peculiar  to  their  state.  The  soldiers  are  now 
sitting  and  wondering  at  what  they  see  and  hear,  and  suggest 
to  each  other  whether  he  had  not  called  the  prophet  Elijah, 
and  whether  Elijah  would  come  and  deliver  him ;  for  they, 
not  understanding  Hebrew,  necessarily  mistook  the  sense  of 
our  Lord's  exclamation.  Then  "  Jesus  knowing  that  all 
things  were  now  accomplished,  that  the  Scriptures  might  be 
fulfilled,  saith,  I  thirst."  (John  19:  28.)  The  soldiers 
hearing  this,  one  of  them  runs  to  a  vessel  filled  with  common 
wine,  and  putting  a  sponge  upon  the  reed  of  a  hyssop  (which 
grows  rather  larger  in  Palestine  than  with  us,  and  yields  a 
feeble  reed  of  two  or  three  feet  in  length),  he  fills  the  sponge 
with  wine,  and  puts  it  to  the  mouth  of  Christ,  that  he  might 
suck  it  out.  This  wine  is  a  different  beverage  from  that 
which  our  Lord  refused  to  take  before  his  crucifixion,  and 
contained  no  myrrh.  "  When  Jesus  had  received  the  vinegar 
(that  is,  the  wine),  he  said,  It  is  fulfilled."  (John  19  :  30.) 
Then  crying  out  with  a  loud  voice,  he  said,  Father,  into  thy 
hands  I  commend  my  spirit ;  and  having  said  thus,  he  bowed 
his  head  (John  19  :  31)  and  gave  up  the  ghost.  (Luke  23  : 
46.)     Then  the  earth  was  shaken,  rocks  in  diverse  places 


152  THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA. 

were  rent,  and  graves  opened,  and  the  inner  vail  of  the  temple 
which  separated  the  sanctuary  from  the  Holy  of  holies  was 
torn  in  two  pieces.  The  centurion  and  his  band,  affrighted, 
gave  glory  to  God,  saying,  "  Certainly  this  was  a  righteous 
man ;  truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God  :  and  many  of  the  peo- 
ple, beholding  the  things  which  were  done,  smote  their  breasts 
and  returned."     (Luke  23  :  48.) 

' '  The  Jews,  therefore,  because  it  was  the  preparation  that 
the  bodies  should  not  remain  upon  the  cross  on  the  Sabbath 
day  (for  that  Sabbath  day  was  an  high-day),  besought  Pilate 
that  their  legs  might  be  broken,  and  that  they  might  be  taken 
away.  Then  came  the  soldiers  and  brake  the  legs  of  the  first, 
and  of  the  other  which  was  crucified  with  him.  But  when 
they  came  to  Jesus,  and  saw  that  he  was  dead  already,  they 
brake  not  his  legs.  But  one  of  the  soldiers  with  a  spear 
pierced  his  side,  and  forthwith  came  there  out  blood  and 
water.  And  he  that  saw  it  bare  record  and  his  record  is 
true,  and  he  knoweth  that  he  saith  true,  that  ye  might 
believe.  For  these  things  were  done  that  the  scripture 
should  be  fulfilled,  a  bone  of  him  shall  not  be  broken.  And 
again  another  scripture  saith,  They  shall  look  on  him  whom 
they  have  pierced."     (John  19  :  31—37.) 

Thus  died  he  who  brought  salvation  to  this  perishing  world. 
He  came  poor,  and  poor  he  went  out  of  this  world ;  with 
wounds  and  stripes,  and  with  a  wreath  of  thorns  around  his 
head.  Extended  on  the  cross  he  finished  his  course ;  but  he 
left  behind  him  the  rich  legacy  of  a  boundless  and  eternal 
salvation  to  all  who  repent  and  believe.  The  reality  of  his 
death  has  been  doubted  by  some  ;  but  by  such  men,  and  upon 
such  grounds,  that  we  need  not  feel  any  concern  on  the  sub- 
ject. It  rests  with  us  on  the  sure  foundation  of  the  divine 
Word ;  it  was  predicted  by  the  prophets  of  old,  and  by  Christ 


THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA.  153 

himself;  it  was  witnessed  and  attested  by  impartial  and  quite 
incredulous  witnesses;  it  is  either  asserted  or  assumed  in 
every  book,  and  almost  on  every  page,  of  the  New  Testament ; 
it  was  firmly  maintained  by  the  primitive  Christians  in  the 
face  of  Jews  and  heathen ;  it  was  silently  though  unwill- 
ingly acknowledged  by  the  bitterest  enemies  of  the  truth.  In 
addition  to  all  this,  however,  when  we  shall  come  to  the  his- 
tory of  our  Lord's  resurrection,  I  shall  bring  forward  such 
evidence  as  will  show  the  inherent  absurdity  of  every  contrary 
hypothesis. 

Various  and  delightful  are  the  reflections  and  comforts 
which  cluster  around  the  cross  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour.  I 
will  briefly  indicate  a  few,  and  then  close. 

1.  Many  and  great  are  our  comforts  on  the  bed  of  languor 
and  death. 

How  enviable  is  our  situation  at  the  very  time  when 
stretched  on  a  dying  bed,  if  we  compare  it  but  for  a  moment 
with  the  situation  of  Christ !  Usually  there  is  with  us  the 
comfortable  room,  there  is  the  convenient  bed,  the  soft  pillow, 
the  soothing  medicine,  the  refreshing  drink.  There  is  the 
careful  wife,  the  anxious  husband,  the  affectionate  child,  the 
experienced  mother,  the  faithful  friend,  the  able  physician, 
around  our  bed,  taxing  every  power  of  invention  to  alleviate 
our  sorrows ;  —  as  though  the  tears  they  hide,  the  sighs  they 
suppress,  as  though  the  deep  thrill  of  tenderest  sympathy 
which  animates  every  whisper  of  their  voice,  were  not  already 
more  precious,  more  stored  with  soothing  power,  than  all  the 
spices  of  India  and  the  productions  of  European  science ;  and 
often,  while  a  stranger  and  far  from  friends  and  kindred,  a 
merciful  Samaritan  is  led  by,  and  pours  oil  and  wine  into  our 
wounds.  If  we  choose  to  have  it  so,  there  is  also  the  word 
of  God,  the  voice  of  prayer,  the  consolations  of  the  Gospel, 


154  THE   SCENE    OF   GOLGOTHA. 

ministering  spirits  encircling  our  bed ;  the  love  of  Jesus,  the 
hope  of  heaven  through  his  blood.  By  a  merciful  dispensa- 
tion, the  distracted  world  then  flees,  our  enemies  are  out  of 
sight,  the  whole  world  seems  to  consist  of  a  few  loving 
friends,  because  no  others  approach  our  couch.  True,  here 
you  see  a  Swartz,  after  near  fifty  years  of  faithful  and  hard 
missionary  labor,  dying  with  excruciating  pain;  there  a 
Christian  like  Thomas  Scott  struggles  for  a  hope  of  heaven 
until  his  thickening  blood  already  gathers  around  his  heart, 
and  circulation  begins  to  stop ;  in  yonder  hovel  you  find 
stretched  out  in  a  corner  on  the  ground,  alone,  unheeded,  a 
Martyn,  dying  the  death  of  the  righteous.  Often,  indeed,  it 
is  true,  what  the  prophet  Isaiah  testifieth  (57  :  1,  2),  "  The 
righteous  perisheth,  and  no  man  layeth  it  to  heart ;  and 
merciful  men  are  taken  away,  and  no  man  considereth;  "  — 
but  what  follows  does  also  hold  true :  "  The  righteous  is 
taken  away  from  the  evil  to  come.  He  shall  enter  into  peace, 
arid  all  who  have  walked  in  uprightness  rest  in  their  beds." 
Either  external  or  internal  comforts,  but  usually  both,  are 
administered  to  the  suffering  and  dying  believer.  Jesus' 
faithfulness  and  love  will  not  let  him  expire  in  utter  darkness 
and  destitution ;  and  never  have  I  heard  of  that  Christian 
who  exclaimed  like  unto  him,  "My  God,  my  God!  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  He  may  be  tried  hard ;  destitu- 
tion without  and  within  may  oppress  and  afflict  him ;  but  a 
secret  and  faithful  hand  will  bear  him  up,  and  bear  him 
through,  and  before  his  soul  leaves  her  tenement  of  clay  he 
will  return  answer  to  himself,  saying,  ' '  Why  art  thou  cast 
down,  0  my  soul,  and  why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me  ? 
Hope  thou  in  God :  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him,  who  is  the 
health  of  my  countenance  and  my  God." 

But  what  shall  I  say,  fellow-Christians,  of  our  fretfulness, 


THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA.  155 

our  impatience  on  the  bed  of  languor,  our  unmindfulness  of 
our  many  comforts  even  then,  and  of  the  many  services  of 
love  we  are  receiving,  and  of  all  of  which  our  Lord  was  desti- 
tute ?  Ah,  we  had  lost  sight  of  Calvary  then ;  and  well  may 
we  hide  our  blushing  countenances  in  the  dust,  as  we  look  up 
to  Him.  Break  it  down,  that  wicked  and  unbroken  spirit  of 
self-will  and  fretfulness ;  break  it  down  by  the  cross  of 
Christ !  It  will  not  do  for  us  to  harbor  that  evil  demon  in 
our  breasts,  after  we  have  seen  how  Jesus  suffered  and  died. 
0,  may  death  find  us  in  the  exercise  of  meek  submission,  and 
with  the  sweet  petition  on  our  tongues,  "Father,  into  thy 
hands  I  commit  my  spirit !  " 

2.  Jesus  can  perfectly  sympathize  with  us  to  our  last 
expiring  breath. 

I  have  but  little  to  say  on  this  reflection.  To  reason, 
it  seems  that  God  must  know  our  afflictions,  and  be  able  to 
sympathize  with  us,  without  having  himself  the  experience 
of  them ;  and  even  to  him  who  admits  it  on  the  authority 
of  revelation,  that  we  did  need  such  an  High  Priest,  the  idea 
has  but  little  if  any  savor.  Here  distress  and  trouble,  the 
sick  bed,  the  dying  bed,  must  be  the  interpreters  and  the 
preachers  of  the  Word ;  and  I  can  only  say,  Remember  this 
truth  when  you  are  drawing  near  unto  death,  and  see  whether 
it  will  not  yield  you  comforts,  whether  it  will  hold  out  or  not 
when  all  human  consolations  fail. 

3.  Sorrows  and  spiritual  darkness,  which  sometimes  attend 
the  dying  bed  of  a  Christian,  are  no  evidence  either  against 
the  truth  itself,  or  against  his  own  Christian  character ;  and 
the  easy  death  of  the  infidel  proves  neither  the  truth  of  infi- 
delity nor  the  goodness  of  his  heart. 

The  impenitent  criminal  on  the  cross  experienced  no  hidings 
of  God's  countenance,  and  not  a  word  of  concern  or  anxiety 


156  THE   SCENE   OF   GOLGOTHA. 

about  the  past  or  the  future  escapes  his  lips.  Not  even  the 
dreadful  torment  of  the  cross  could  humble  him  sufficiently  to 
make  him  refrain  from  sin  and  blasphemy,  and  probably  he 
has  never  since  stopped  cursing  and  blaspheming.  But  the 
holy  Saviour  is  full  of  distress,  and  anguish,  and  mourning. 
It  is,  indeed,  the  legitimate  effect  of  "  a  good  hope  through 
grace"  to  sustain  the  sinking  spirits  when  heart  and  flesh 
fail ;  and  it  is  no  more  than  natural  that  the  absorbing 
interest  of  earthly  things  should  vanish,  and  leave  the  soul 
empty  and  the  bosom  desolate  when  the  honest  hour  of  death 
draws  near,  and  eternity  pours  its  peering  light  upon  the 
titles,  treasures  and  lusts,  of  this  perishing  world.  Moreover, 
we  know  that  God  is  with  his  people  in  life  and  death,  but 
that  the  hope  of  the  hypocrite  and  the  worldly  man  will 
perish  when  God  taketh  away  the  soul.  Yet  who  can  doubt 
that  deep-rooted  self-righteousness,  brute  stupidity,  or  strong 
and  refined  stoicism,  may  not  cleave  to  the  dying  sinner  until 
the  light  of  eternity  reveal  to  him  his  character,  and  the 
flames  of  hell  his  doom  ;  while  the  trembling  believer,  on  clos- 
ing his  weeping  eyes  upon  this  world,  may  hear  the  unex- 
pected invitation,  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter 
thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  !  Let  us  not  boast  too  much 
of  the  joyful  death  of  many  a  pious  soul,  but  rather  be  hum- 
bly grateful  for  it.  It  is  a  gift  of  God,  which  he  may  bestow 
or  withhold.  Let  us  rather  see  to  it,  all  ye  who  hear  me, 
that  we  breathe  the  spirit  of  Jesus  now,  and  the  abundant 
entrance  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  God  will  not  fail 
us,  whether  our  death  be  trying  or  triumphant. 

4.  We  ought  spiritually  to  die  to  the  world  and  all  its 
vanities. 

Paul  professes  to  be  by  the  cross  of  Christ  crucified  to  the 
world, —  that  is,  as  dead  to  its  allurements  as  a  crucified  man 


THE   SCENE    OF   GOLGOTHA.  157 

would  be ;  and  the  world  to  be  crucified  unto  him, —  that  is, 
utterly  incapable  of  cnarming  him  any  longer.  (Galatians  6  : 
14.)  —  "They  that  are  Christ's  have  crucified  their  flesh 
with  the  (sinful)  affections  and  lusts,"  chapter  5:  24, — 
that  is,  they  have  broken  down,  by  the  power  of  God,  their 
ruling  influence  over  them.  "  I  am  crucified  with  Christ !  " 
he  exclaims  in  another  place;  "nevertheless,  I  live  ;  yet  not 
I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me;  "  chapter  2:  20.  Similar  senti- 
ments are  scattered  over  the  pages  of  the  Bible  everywhere. 
The  death  of  Christ  does  not  excuse  us  from  dying  to  our 
lusts,  but  it  renders  this  possible ;  it  shows  its  propriety  ;  it 
implies  it,  it  recommends  it ;  nay,  it  absolutely  commands  it, 
and  with  a  voice,  too,  more  powerful  than  the  combined 
thunders  of  Sinai.  To  sin  under  the  old  dispensation  was  to 
transgress  the  law ;  to  sin  under  the  new,  is  to  transgress  the 
law,  and  to  crucify  the  Son  of  God.  He  died  for  sin  ;  we 
must  die  to  sin.  And,  blessed  be  God  !  now  we  can  do  it. 
The  enemy  is  conquered ;  the  new  and  living  way  is  open ; 
the  vail  of  the  Holy  of  holies  is  torn  asunder  ;  our  graves  are 
open ;  Christ  and  his  merits  and  his  omnipotent  Spirit  are 
ours. 

5.  Once  more.  —  There  is  no  rest,  no  peace  of  heart,  except 
under  the  cross,  and  in  the  cross. 

There  is  no  rest  except  under  the  cross.  There  is  no 
satisfaction,  no  peace  of  mind,  to  be  expected,  except  there.  I 
know,  on  hearing  this,  the  worldling  will  point  me  to  his  diver- 
sion and  pleasure,  in  which  he  delights  to  wallow ;  the  ambi- 
tious, to  his  acquired  or  desired  greatness,  fame,  titles,  etc. ; 
the  avaricious,  to  his  yellow  dust ;  the  scholar,  to  his  rich  and 
boundless  field  of  literature  and  science.  But,  I  repeat  it, 
there  is  no  rest,  no  peace,  no  satisfaction,  except  under  the 
cross  of  Christ.  For  there  is  in  the  human  breast  a  set  of 
14 


158  THE   SCENE    OF   GOLGOTHA.      * 

slumbering  wants,  which  stretch  themselves  infinitely  beyond 
all  the  boasted  glories  of  this  world,  and  leave  stars,  comets 
and  galaxies,  at  an  interminable  distance  beneath  their  feet. 
There  are  eyes  planted  in  the  heart  which  must  be  filled 
with  the  glories  of  a  spiritual  world,  a  world  of  holiness,  or 
they  will  forever  grate  upon  their  sockets,  and  rouse  insuf- 
ferable anguish.  There  is  a  thirst,  a  hunger,  lingering  un- 
heeded in  the  deep  recesses  of  the  spirit,  which  is  not  to  be 
hushed  forever  into  silence  by  the  highway  din  of  carnal 
desires  and  worldly  dissipation,  or  drudgery,  and  which  must 
be  satisfied  with  the  bread  and  water  of  life,  or  eternal  starva- 
tion will  inevitably  follow. 

There  is  no  rest  only  in  the  cross ;  in  the  giving  up  of 
every  wrong,  self-seeking  desire,  of  every  idol  and  darling 
sin  within  and  without  us.  To  be  nothing  in  this  world,  to 
wish  for  nothing  but  Christ,  to  know  nothing  but  Christ,  to 
have  nothing  but  him,  is  perfect  freedom,  perfect  health, 
eternal  wealth,  supreme  wisdom,  irresistible  and  holy  power, 
transcending  and  real  dignity,  the  satisfaction  of  every  want, 
the  filling  up  of  the  deep  and  vacant  pit  of  all  our  spiritual 
desires,  and  endless  rest. 


VIII. 

THE   PENITENT   THIEF    ON   THE    CROSS. 

And  one  of  the  malefactors  which  were  hanged  railed  on  him,  saying,  If 
thou  be  Christ,  save  thyself  and  us.  But  the  other,  answering,  rebuked 
him,  saying,  Dost  not  thou  fear  God,  seeing  thou  art  in  the  same  condem- 
nation ?  And  we  indeed  justly  ;  for  we  receive  the  due  reward  of  our 
deeds  ;  but  this  man  hath  done  nothing  amiss.  And  he  said  unto  Jesus, 
Lord,  remember  me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom.  And  Jesus  said 
unto  him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  To-day  thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise. 
—  Luke  23  :  39—43. 

Permit  me,  my  hearers,  to  lead  you  once  more  back  to 
Calvary,  to  speak  more  particularly  of  one  of  the  events 
which  transpired  there, —  I  mean  the  salvation  of  the  penitent 
thief  on  the  cross, —  it  concerns  us  so  eminently  in  our 
present  probationary  state.  Besides,  the  fact  that  Jesus, 
while  hanging  on  the  accursed  tree,  disposed,  in  the  exercise 
of  sovereign  power,  of  the  eternal  kingdom  in  glory, —  that 
fact  is  so  great,  so  unique,  that  it  seems  to  require  our  par- 
ticular attention.  To  give  sufficient  relief  to  the  different 
parts  of  the  picture,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  speak  more  at  large 
than  I  should  otherwise  have  done  of  this  poor  but  pardoned 
sinner.     I  shall  thus  take  into  consideration, 

I.  IIlS   WICKED    LIFE. 

II.  IIlS   REPENTANCE. 

III.  His  FAITH. 


160       THE  PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE  CROSS. 

IV.   His  ready  acceptance  with  Christ. 

I.  His  wicked  life. — "The  way  of  the  wicked  is  as 
darkness,"  saith  Solomon. —  dark  in  its  beginning,  darker  in 
its  progress,  darkest  in  its  catastrophe.  Where  the  usual 
restraints  are  taken  away,  the  way  of  the  wicked  man  begins 
with  the  degrading  service  of  those  senses  which  he  has  in 
common  with  the  brutes ;  then  he  goes  on  to  a  conscious  vio- 
lation of  known  and  acknowledged  obligations  and  moral  pre- 
cepts;  then  to  a  dull  insensibility  to  them;  then  to  an 
instinctive  disinclination  to  them ;  then  to  a  deliberate 
hatred  against  Him  who  gave  those  precepts ;  then  to  open 
enmity  towards  those  who  obey  tnem,  and,  in  fine,  towards 
everything  holy,  just  and  good.  The  character  itself  is  ever 
the  same ;  but  the  degrees  of  development  differ,  gathering 
blackness  as  they  approach  the  spirit  of  hell  to  which  they 
are  verging. 

Thus  the  prodigal  son  of  our  text.  He  had  wasted  a  life 
in  the  service  of  Satan.  We  meet  him  on  his  way  to  death,  a 
disturber  of  public  peace,  a  terror  to  the  innocent,  an  abomi- 
nation to  the  upright,  at  a  heaven-wide  distance  from  God 
and  holiness,  a  despiser  both  of  divine  and  of  human  laws, 
unworthy  to  live  even  in  a  world  like  this,  where  a  thousand 
acts  of  wickedness  may  be  perpetrated  unpunished.  And  yet 
his  language  bears  a  close  analogy  to  the  language  of  the 
sacred  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  best  com- 
mentators agree  that  he  was  a  Jew.  Hence,  it  is  probable,  in 
the  highest  degree,  that  he  enjoyed  early  religious  advan- 
tages. Faint  recollections  of  divine  truth  seem  to  play 
around  his  memory;  stifled  feelings  and  half-effaced  impres- 
sions of  past  times  seem  to  be  struggling  now  for  that  influ- 
ence over  his  mind  and  heart  which  they  had  so  long  and  so 
unjustly  been  denied.     How  often  may  they  have  pleaded  for 


THE    PENITENT   THIEF   ON    THE    CROSS.  161 

that  share  of  attention  which  they  deserved,  but  in  vain  ! 
Every  good  thought  of  that  man  had  been  crushed,  from  his 
youth  up  ;  every  religious  privilege  despised ;  every  oifer  of 
mercy  from  within  and  from  without  neglected ;  God  and  his 
word  set  aside,  his  Sabbaths  profaned,  his  people  and  his 
sanctuary  carefully  shunned,  and  bad  .company,  profaneness, 
riot  and  gambling,  preferred.  Had  the  poor  wandering  youth 
pious  parents  ?  They  are  perhaps  grieved  to  death.  The 
tears  and  entreaties  of  his  godly  mother  provoked  but  his 
impatience  ;  the  remonstrances  of  his  father,  his  indignation  ; 
the  rebukes,  yea,  the  very  presence  of  pious  people,  his 
hatred  ;  public  laws,  his  revenge  ;  the  laws  of  God,  his  blas- 
phemies. He  began,  like  all  the  rest  of  forlorn  wretches, 
with  sins  of  the  heart ;  then  came  unrestrained  language ; 
then  the  so-called  small  deviations  of  youth ;  until,  driven 
from  society,  he  plunged  himself  into  that  whirlpool  of  crimes 
where  man  becomes  the  proper  bond-slave  of  Satan,  and  a 
curse  and  terror  to  his  fellow-men. 

This,  indeed,  is  substantially  the  history  of  thousands  of 
every  sex,  age,  rank  and  description,  whose  dying  beds  the 
minister  of  Christ  has  to  attend.  In  the  silent  hour  of  mid- 
night, perhaps,  he  is  called.  With  hasty  steps  he  proceeds 
to  the  solemn  place  marked  by  the  solitary  night-lamp,  where 
an  immortal  being  is  about  to  change  worlds.  And  what  is 
the  scene  he  meets  1  There  lies  a  poor,  distressed  sinner, 
ready  to  breathe  his  last.  His  physicians  have  given  him  up ; 
his  gay  friends  have  taken  their  leave,  and  shun  his  sick  bed 
like  death,  a  few  hirelings  excepted,  who  hope  to  be  his  heirs ; 
the  card-table,  the  drinking-table,  are  upset ;  the  candles  of 
the  ball-room  are  quenched,  and  the  viol,  the  timbrel,  and 
the  harp  of  his  riotous  feasts,  are  silent  forever ;  the  busy 
world  has  forgotten  him  ;  life  has  lost  its  deceitful  charms,  its 
14* 


162  THE   PENITENT  THIEF   ON   THE   CROSS. 

usurped  importance  ;  eternity  draws  near.  His  early  lot  God 
had  caused  to  fall  in  pleasant  places,  intending  to  give  him  a 
goodly  heritage  in  his  kingdom  hereafter.  Pious  parents, 
good  society,  the  privileges  of  the  sanctuary,  the  word  of 
God,  many  a  faithful  admonition  of  conscience,  in  short,  a 
thousand  calls  from  heaven,  marked  his  youthful  days.  But 
the  world  called  on  the  other  side,  and  promised,  what  it  is 
neither  able  nor  willing  to  give,  happiness,  greatness,  satis- 
faction. The  sensual  youth  doubted,  listened,  endeavored 
the  impossible  and  absurd  task  of  serving  two  masters.  He 
cannot  bear  to  give  up  the  world  all  at  once,  as  the  Bible 
requires  it ;  he  wants  to  enjoy  himself  a  little  while  ;  he  is 
caught.  His  thoughtfulness,  if  any  he  had,  wears  out ;  his 
strength  to  resist  the  evil  one  fails ;  nay,  he  begins  to  like 
his  baits;  doubts  respecting  the  reality  of  religion  fill  his 
mind;  the  darkness  of  the  sacred  Scriptures,  the  imperfection 
of  pious  people,  the  pressure  of  business,  and  ten  thousand 
other  lying  refuges,  are  resorted  to ;  the  world  gathers  num- 
berless and  resistless  charms  ;  the  tempter  doubles  his  offers, 
and  the  deluded  sinner  strikes  hands,  and,  bidding  deliberately 
farewell  to  Christ  and  his  cross,  he  follows  on  straightway  as 
an  ox  goeth  to  the  slaughter ;  he  serves  the  flesh,  the  world, 
and  the  devil.  Awhile  he  feels  himself  great  and  happy  ;  his 
course,  especially  when  compared  with  that  of  the  humble  and 
despised  Jesus  and  his  followers,  seems  to  be  an  honorable, 
interesting  and  delightful  one ;  until  God  lays  his  hand  upon 
him, —  until  sickness,  death,  the  grave,  eternity,  judgment 
and  endless  retribution,  stare  into  his  face.  But  then,  0 
then  !  — his  greatness,  his  riches,  his  learning,  his  pleasures, 
his  dissipations,  his  idle  schemes  and  plans  for  many  days  to 
come, —  all  are  vanished  like  a  morning  dream,  like  smoke. 
Now  he  wants  to  repent.    He  sends  for  ministers,  he  looks  for 


THE   PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE   CROSS.  163 

his  Bible,  he  wants  to  hear  the  voice  of  prayer.  He  wants 
to  be  saved.  But  it  is  vain  ;  too  late  —  too  late !  The  spark 
of  a  better  conscience  is  effectually  and  forever  quenched ;  the 
irrevocable  sentence  of  reprobation  is  passed  in  the  court  of 
heaven,  and  sealed  with  the  seal  of  eternity ;  like  Esau,  he 
seeks  repentance  and  finds  none.  Despair  strangles  him  on 
his  pillow,  and  malicious  spirits  from  beneath  goad  his  mad 
and  raving  soul  down  to  hell,  where  the  worm  dieth  not, 
and  where  the  fire  is  not  quenched.  A  few  moments  he  was 
glittering  with  delusive  brightness  on  the  firmament  of  pol- 
ished society ;  now  he  goes  down  like  a  wandering  star  to  the 
blackness  of  darkness  forever,  and  no  minister,  no  Bible,  no 
prayer,  no  sacrament,  can  save  him  from  eternal  ruin ! 

This  is  the  lot  of  thousands,  and  tens  of  thousands ;  but, 
thanks  be  to  God  for  his  sovereign  power  and  grace  in  Jesus 
Christ,  it  is  not  the  lot  of  all !  Saul  sins,  and  dies  without 
repentance ;  David  sins,  too,  but  sues  for  pardon  and  receives 
it.  Ahab  serves  Baalim,  and  dies  without  repentance; 
Manasseh  serves  them  too,  but  repents  and  is  forgiven. 
Among  soldiers,  we  meet  with  the  centurion  and  with  Corne- 
lius ;  among  publicans,  with  Matthew  and  Zaccheus ;  among 
the  Pharisees,  with  Nicodemus ;  among  magistrates,  with 
Joseph  of  Arimathea;  among  dissolute  women,  with  the 
woman  M  which  was  a  sinner,'7  but  unto  whom  much  was  for- 
given because  she  loved  much ;  among  those  who  deny  the 
Lord  that  bought  them,  we  meet  with  Peter ;  among  the  per- 
secutors of  the  people  of  God,  with  Paul ;  among  thieves  and 
murderers,  with  the  penitent  thief  on  the  cross.  0  for  eyes 
to  behold  the  innumerable  host  of  poor  but  forgiven  sinners 
around  Mount  Zion  above  !  Numbers  without  number  utter- 
ing joy,  gratitude  and  everlasting  praise  !     But  could  we  see 


3  64  THE   PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE   CROSS. 

ner  would  burn  with  no  inferior  flame,  and  his  voice  would 
not  be  found  the  lightest  in  the  harmony  of  heaven. 

II.  His  repentance.  — What  his  state  of  mind  was  while 
he  was  imprisoned  and  on  his  way  to  the  place  of  execution, 
we  are  not  told.  But  while  it  is  quite  probable  that  he  was 
not  altogether  thoughtless,  it  is  certain,  too,  that  he  had  no 
adequate  conception  of  his  guilt  and  danger.  Had  he  known 
himself,  his  eyes  would  have  been  opened  to  see  and  to  know 
his  Saviour  also  walking  near  him,  bearing  the  sins  of  the 
world ;  and  he  would  not  have  deferred  securing  his  own  sal- 
vation to  near  the  last  minute  of  his  life.  But  the  poor  man 
was  ignorant  of  his  own  condition,  and  how  could  he  know 
Him  who  reveals  himself  only  to  the  broken  and  contrite  in 
heart?  So  blinded  are  we  by  nature,  that  the  most  heinous 
crimes  committed  by  us  cannot  truly  impress  us  with  our 
state  of  guilt  and  condemnation  before  God.  And  this  is  the 
chief  reason  why  Christ  remains  unknown  to  most,  even  of 
those  in  whose  ears  his  name  is  ringing  every  day.  Let  us 
pray  for  a  knowledge  of  ourselves,  and  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  will  follow  soon  and  certainly  enough. 

Our  melancholy  procession  has  arrived  at  the  place  of  exe- 
cution,—  the  crosses  are  raised  and  fixed  in  the  ground, — 
the  victims  are  fastened  to  them  —  Christ  in  the  middle,  as 
the  chief  criminal.  Now  a  horrible  scene  begins,  at  which 
heaven  wept,  and  the  powers  of  darkness  shouted  for  joy.  The 
Pharisees,  the  High  Priests,  and  the  people,  begin  to  mock 
and  curse  Christ,  the  poor,  defenceless  victim  of  their  rage. 
They  challenge  him  to  come  down  from  the  cross,  and  laugh 
him  to  scorn  that  he  had  saved  so  many  others,  and  was 
unable  (as  they  thought)  to  save  himself.  The  two  murder- 
ers remained  unabused,  you  observe;  for  the  world  loveth  her 
own,  in  a  measure,  even  to  the  end.     Christ  makes  no  reply, 


THE   PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE    CROSS.  165 

shows  no  resentment ;  no  feeling  moves  his  breast,  except  that 
of  pity ;  no  words  came  from  his  lips,  except  those  of  prayer 
and  intercession  for  his  infuriated  murderers.  This  may  have 
been  the  first  moment  when  a  saving  ray  of  heavenly  light  fell 
into  the  heart  of  our  penitent  thief.  For  thus  it  happened 
afterwards,  when  Christians  were  suffering  and  dying  on  the 
stake  without  a  murmur  and  without  resentment, —  nay,  with 
prayer  for  their  tyrants  and  with  praises  to  God, —  that  the 
eyes  of  thoughtless  and  stupid  beholders  were  opened,  their 
minds  enlightened,  their  hearts  renewed,  and  their  souls  saved. 

The  other  thief,  hardened  in  sin  and  given  over,  now  begins 
to  rave.  He  has  inferred,  from  the  mockeries  of  the  Jews, 
that  the  man  of  the  middle  cross  must  be  that  famous  Rabbi 
who  had  done  so  many  great  and  wonderful  works,  and  whom 
many  believed  to  be  the  Messiah ;  and  he  doubtless  expected 
that,  if  this  was  the  case,  he  would  forthwith  show  his  power, 
descend  from  his  cross,  deliver  his  fellow-sufferers  also,  and 
make  havoc  of  his  enemies.  But  he  waits  in  vain.  Christ 
makes  no  reply,  no  effort  to  descend,  but  evidently  prepares 
for  death.  Disappointment,  contempt  and  anger,  now  take 
the  place  of  a  carnal  hope,  and  fill  the  heart  of  the  miserable 
man,  and  he  pours  out  the  whole  torrent  of  his  rage  upon  the 
suffering  and  praying  and  dying  Jesus.  Thus  Herod  and 
Pilate  make  friendship,  and  High  Priests  and  murderers  join 
harmoniously,  as  soon  as  Christ  or  his  people  are  to  be  perse- 
cuted and  slain.  He  that  is  not  for  Christ  is  against  him, 
and  he  who  does  not  gather  with  him  scattereth. 

Christ  is  silent  still,  and  hides  not  his  face  from  reproach 
and  cursing.  The  penitent  thief,  on  the  other  side,  looks  on, 
and  wonders,  and  admires  the  scene.  The  moment  of  mercy 
has  come ;  the  blasphemies  of  his  fellow-criminal  and  of  the 
Jews  make  him  shudder ;  God  opens  his  eyes ;  he  sees  the 


166       THE  PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE  CROSS. 

guilt  of  these  men  and  his  own  guilt  in  all  its  length  and 
breadth.  Our  guilt  and  our  need  are  one.  He  who  feels  his 
guilt  feels  his  need ;  and  he  who  feels  his  need  will  naturally 
seek  relief;  and  he  that  seeketh,  says  Christ,  findeth.  The 
heart  of  the  poor  man  breaks;  he  can  bear  the  sight  no 
longer.  He  rebukes  his  companion  in  sin ;  and  before  God 
and  all  the  world  he  confesses  his  own  guilt  and  shame. 
"Dost  thou  not  fear  God,  seeing  that  thou  art  in  the  same 
condemnation?  And  we  indeed  justly,  for  we  receive  the 
due  reward  of  our  deeds ;  but  this  man  hath  done  nothing 
amiss." 

To  justify  God  and  to  condemn  ourselves,  these  are  insep- 
arable and  true  characteristics  of  genuine  repentance.  Self- 
condemnation, —  not  the  external,  hypocritical,  partial  one, 
committed  to  memory,  perhaps,  from  the  prayer-book,  but 
heart-felt,  sincere,  sweeping,  carrying  away  from  us  every 
appearance  of  worthiness  and  claim  before  God, —  is  a  dagger 
to  the  heart  of  the  "old  man."  For,  when  our  claims  upon 
divine  favor  are  all  clean  gone,  then  it  is  plain  there  remains 
no  other  alternative  to  us  than  to  lay  down  our  arms,  and  to 
surrender  unconditionally  to  the  sovereign  pleasure  of  God. 
But  to  trust  himself  to  his  God  without  reserve,  and  without 
selfish  bargains,  is  not  in  the  heart  of  man.  Hence  the 
awful  shrinking  of  sinners,  when  convinced  of  their  guilt. 
Free  and  sovereign  grace  is  an  element  in  which  sinful  nature 
and  the  carnal  heart  of  man  must  expire  without  remedy. 
And,  therefore,  even  thieves  and  murderers  in  prison  and  on 
the  scaffold  will  cleave  to  the  goodness  of  their  own  characters 
with  stubborn  tenacity,  unaccountable  and  ridiculous  as  the 
fact  may  appear  to  us.  But  what  shall  they  do?  Such 
unconditional  surrender  to  God  —  ah !  it  is  like  the  giving 
up  of  the  ghost.     To  subscribe  to  the  unqualified  accusation 


THE   PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE   CROSS.  167 

of  unmingled  and  sweeping  guilt,  to  strike  ourselves  the 
death-blow  to  our  own  characters  before  God,  to  knock  away 
all  the  rotten  props  around  about  which  supported  us,  and, 
relinquishing  the  frail  bottom  of  chaff  and  sand  on  which  our 
house  stood,  to  leap  out  of  our  element,  and  to  throw  our- 
selves into  the  mysterious  deep  of  divine  sovereignty  and 
divine  mercy,  with  nothing  in  our  hands  but  a  poor,  short 
word  of  promise, —  0  !  our  very  soul  shudders  at  the  thought, 
and  "chooses  strangling  rather  than  life"  on  these  terms; 
and  hell  itself  has  no  more  terrors  to  human  nature  than  this 
tremendous  attempt.  And  from  this  point,  indeed,  it  is  that 
the  greatest  number  of  thoughtful  and  inquiring  men  turn 
back  and  perish  forever.  And  yet  it  is  and  forever  remains 
the  indispensable  condition  of  pardoned  sin  and  eternal  life. 

III.  His  faith.  —  The  mind  of  this  man  is  no  sooner  set- 
tled on  the  subject  of  "  repentance  toward  God,"  than  "  faith 
toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  rises  into  existence.  This  is 
the  proper  divine  order,  which  men  may  not  invert  or  destroy. 
"  Repent  and  believe  !  "  is  the  message  of  God  to  fallen  man. 
Some  mean  to  believe  without  repentance ;  but  they  will  find 
themselves  mistaken.  Faith  without  previous  repentance  is  a 
dead  thought,  a  mere  notion,  a  doctrine  admitted  either  with 
or  without  evidence, —  a  weak,  second-handed  conviction. 
Reasoning,  at  the  best,  built  it  up ;  reasoning  may  pluck  it 
down  again.  It  leaves  the  mind  unenlightened,  the  heart 
untouched,  unpurified,  the  life  unaltered,  the  soul  under  con- 
demnation of  death.  Faith  after  true  repentance  is  a  convic- 
tion resting  on  experience  and  intuitive  evidence ;  a  truth  of 
the  first  order ;  it  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for  and 
the  unshaken  evidence  of  things  unseen  by  carnal  eyes.  It 
carries  reason  and  logic  headlong ;  it  quickens  and  renews  the 


168  THE   PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE   CROSS. 

heart,  enlightens  the  mind,  influences  the  life,  overcomes  the 
world,  and  lavs  hold  on  things  heavenly  and  eternal. 

So  was  the  faith  of  our  penitent  sinner  :  "  Lord,  remember 
me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom."  Lord?  —  What 
does  he  mean  ?  The  poor,  condemned,  executed  Jew,  a  lord  ? 
Certainly  he  is  none  of  the  lords  of  this  world,  this  is  plain ; 
and  he  never  had  been  one  of  their  number.  He  was  of 
humble  origin,  and  from  the  most  despised  city  of  Judea. 
"  Lord,  remember  me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom  !  " 
—  Into  what  kingdom  ?  Certainly  into  no  kingdom  of  this 
world.  For,  if  really  birth  had  given  him  a  claim  upon  all 
the  thrones  on  earth,  the  hope  of  inheriting  them,  and  of  dis- 
tributing their  offices  to  his  favorites,  was  forever  past. 
"  Lord,  remember  me  !  " — Whom  ?  Him  he  was  to  remem- 
ber, who  was  ready  himself  to  expire,  and  who  could  derive 
no  benefit  from  any  earthly  protection.  No.  To  our  pen- 
itent malefactor  the  world,  with  its  prospects,  was  blasted, 
and  its  attractions  dead  forever.  The  eye  of  his  faith  was 
directed  to  another  world;  his  affections  were  settling  on 
things  above.  He  calls  Christ  "  Lord"  in  a  spiritual  sense; 
a  Lord  in  the  world  to  come,  who  had  a  spiritual  and  ever- 
lasting kingdom  to  expect,  and  to  distribute,  and  whose  mere 
remembrance  of  him  would  be  sufficient  to  secure  his  eternal 
interests.  But  who  is  Lord  and. King  in  heaven,  save  the 
Lord  of  lords  and  the  King  of  kings  ?  Who  has  power  to 
distribute  the  blessings  of  the  world  to  come  to  whomsoever 
he  pleases,  but  he  "  who  doeth  his  pleasure  in  the  armies  of 
heaven,  and  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  and  to  whom 
no  man  may  say,  What  doest  thou?"  This  confession,  there- 
fore, amounts  to  the  solemn  and  comprehensive  declaration, — 
Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  the  Messiah,  the  Word,  which  was 
in  the  beginning  with  God  and  which  was  God,  the  maker 


THE  PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE  CROSS.        169 

and  ruler  of  the  universe,  the  sovereign  disposer  of  the  inher- 
itance of  the  saints  in  light,  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  who 
can  and  will  save  freely  and  to  the  uttermost  all  who  come 
unto  him. 

But  how  does  he  come  by  this  faith  in  circumstances  so  un- 
speakably unfavorable,  so  decidedly  opposed  to  it?  The  con- 
demned, expiring  man,  on  yonder  cross,  the  Lord  of  heaven  ? 
A  stumbling-block  of  mountain  size  to  the  Jews,  and  the  very 
height  of  foolishness  to  the  Greeks  !  His  was  a  giant  stretch 
of  faith,  I  confess.  In  respect  to  external  support,  it  outstrips 
the  faith  of  all  the  apostles,  the  centurion,  the  distressed  fath- 
ers and  mothers,  the  blind,  the  deaf,  the  lepers,  the  paralytics ; 
the  faith  of  all  martyrs  on  the  stake,  in  the  flames,  in  perse- 
cution, in  caves  and  dens  of  the  earth.  It  was  pure  faith, 
clean  and  free  from  every  support  from  without,  a  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  unalloyed  by  any  earthly  ingredient.  Peter 
walked  on  the  sea, —  but  he  saw  Christ  pacing  with  firm  steps 
over  the  rolling  wave.  The  apostles  remained  faithful  to 
their  conviction, —  but  they  had  witnessed  ten  thousand  exhi- 
bitions of  Christ's  divine  power,  and  had  seen  him  and  con- 
versed with  him  for  three  years.  The  sick  and  the  distressed 
came  to  him  from  far, —  but  the  land  was  full  of  his  fame. 
The  saints  in  after  times  sacrificed  their  lives  for  him, —  but 
they  had  accumulating  proofs  of  his  all-overruling  ^sceptre, 
daily  adding  strength  (if  this  be  possible)  to  the  testimony  of 
the  sacred  records.  And  what  is  it  for  us  now  to  believe  on 
him,  when  the  cloud  of  witnesses  und  the  mass  of  evidence  in 
his  favor  have  already  become  so  boundless  that  it  requires 
almost  a  life  to  pass  over  and  duly  estimate  the  whole  of  it? 
It  is  all  comparatively  nothing.  Our  faith  is  sight;  and  woe 
unto  that  man  who  can  at  the  present  day  live  and  die  without 
being  a  Christian  from  his  heart !     Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 

" 


170       THE  PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE  CROSS. 

Bethsaida,  Chorazin,  and  Capernaum,  the  scoffing  Jews,  the 
dying  impenitent  rebel  of  our  text,  will  condemn  him  in  the 
judgment  day. 

But  let  us  look  up  to  Calvary  again.  Here  is  a  faith  firm 
and  clear ;  not  like  the  faith  of  many  a  professor  of  religion, 
an  ignis  fatuus,  sprung  from  mud,  and  tossed  straying  until 
it  is  quenched  in  endless  night,  but  bright  and  sure,  like  the 
polar  star.  Not  like  the  dim,  unsteady  night-lamp,  in  the 
dismal  cave  of  human  speculation,  but  like  the  noon-day 
sun  in  his  strength,  rejoicing,  like  a  strong  man,  to  run 
a  race,  equally  unchecked  in  his  progress  by  the  small 
pebble  on  the  sea-shore,  and  by  the  heaven-towering  moun- 
tains of  the  world,  triumphing  over  obstacles  from  every 
quarter,  and  cleaving  to  the  Divine  Saviour  of  the  world 
when  believers  doubted  and  despaired,  and  apostles  fled  in 
confusion ;  when  angels  in  heaven  stopped  their  harps  in 
awful  suspense  as  to  what  was  coming,  and  the  powers  of 
darkness  shouted  victory  and  triumph. 

"Lord,  remember  me!"  It  was  a  faith  working  an 
entire  and  unconditional  surrender  to  Christ.  There  is 
no  choosing,  no  self-will,  no  undue  aspiration,  no  desire  to 
obtain  even  a  pledge.  Remember  me ;  this  is  enough.  Do 
as  thou  wilt  with  me,  only  remember  me.  "  Lord,  remember 
me,  when  thou  oomest  in  thy  kingdom."  This  is  no  carnal 
faith,  no  selfish  prayer.  The  impenitent  thief  on  the  other 
side  wished  to  be  remembered  too ;  but  in  this  world,  and 
to  be  delivered  from  the  agonies  of  the  cross.  This  man  is 
willing  to  suffer  here,  if  he  can  live  in  the  remembrance  of 
Christ  in  heaven.  This  is  the  true  distinction  between  the 
believer  and  the  unbeliever,  and  their  prayers :  the  one 
wishes  to  be  delivered  from  pain,  the  other  from  sin;  the 
one  seeks  the  world,  the  other  heaven. 


b 


T'lE   PENITENT   THIEF   ON   THE   CROSS.  171 

But  vou  ask  again,  How  did  he  attain  to  this  precious 
faith  7  I  answer,  the  Holy  Spirit  wrought  it  in  him.  On 
natural  principles  it  cannot  be  accounted  for ;  but  you,  who 
know  the  Lord,  why  do  you  ask  this  question  1  You  know 
that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  divine  illumination.  Do  you 
not  remember  the  time  when  a  light  seemed  to  be  poured  all 
at  once  over  the  word  of  God, —  a  light  which  seemed  to 
quicken  every  letter,  and  light  up  ten  thousand  stars  on 
every  page  ?  —  when  divine  subjects,  which  used  to  be  dark 
and  confounded  in  your  minds,  appeared  to  you  in  a  harmony 
never  before  seen,  and  with  the  charms  of  divine  symmetry 
chained  your  astonished  and  enchanted  hearts  and  looks  ?  — 
when  a  passage  of  the  divine  word,  which  aforetimes  seemed 
hardly  to  furnish  matter  for  five  minutes'  reflection,  expanded 
in  every  direction,  like  the  blue  sky,  till  you  could  pursue 
it  no  longer  ?  —  when  a  promise,  seemingly  of  little  meaning 
and  little  value,  became  to  you  an  inexhaustible  source  of 
consolation,  a  sure  support  in  distress,  a  shield  against  the 
fiery  darts  of  the  adversary,  and  a  flaming  sword  with  which 
you  could  chase  a  thousand  evil  spirits  from  your  heart? 
Surely  ye  do  remember  the  time. 

Well,  here  is  the  same  effect  produced  by  the  same  cause. 
Our  dying  penitent  had  heard  of  the  woman's  seed  who 
should  bruise  the  serpent's  head,  yet  so  as  to  have  his  heel 

uised  first ;  or  he  remembered  the  22d  or  the  69th  Psalm, 
or  the  53d  chapter  of  Isaiah,  or  some  other  similar  portion 
of  Holy  Writ.  It  had  been  sleeping  in  his  mind,  having  no 
sense,  no  interest,  no  form  nor  comeliness.  But,  behold,  his 
eyes  are  now  opened  by  the  Holy  Spirit !  Heavenly  light 
glows  and  blazes  behind  the  dark  transparency  ;  all  is  plain, 
all  beautiful,  interesting,  lovely,  irresistibly  attractive.  The 
odly,  patient  sufferer  on  yonder  accursed  tree  is  the  brazen 


172  THE   PENITENT  THIEF   ON   THE   CROSS. 

serpent  raised  by  Moses,  that  all  who  behold  it  might  be 
saved.  The  whole  dark,  unintelligible  dispensation  of  bap- 
tisms and  divers  washings,  of  sacrifices  and  shedding  of 
blood  which  could  not  take  away  sin  —  0,  what  a  striking 
symbol  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God  !  Moses'  mediation 
and  prophetic  character,  Melchisedek's  and  Aaron's  priestly 
offices,  David's  and  Solomon's  reigns, —  how  fit  to  shadow 
forth  the  new  dispensation  which  was  just  commencing ! 
"  Cursed  is  every  one,"  says  the  law,  "that  continueth  not 
in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do 
them  ;  "  and  again  it  says,  "  cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth 
on  a  tree."  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Son  of  God,  the  Lamb 
slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  the  Saviour  of  all 
men,  the  Lord  of  heaven.  "Lord,  remember  me!"  Blessed 
consequences  of  early  religious  instruction  !  Unhappy  those 
who  are  deprived  of  them  by  the  cunning  craftiness  or  the 
infidelity  of  wicked  men  ;  thrice  unhappy  those  who  neglect 
them  wilfully,  and  thus  shut  themselves  out  from  their  last 
ray  of  hope ! 

IV.  His  ready  acceptance  of  Christ. —  The  short 
petition  is  no  sooner  uttered,  when  the  answer  is  ready. 
"Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in 
paradise."  Ten  thousand  talents  was  the  sinner  of  our  text 
owing  to  his  Lord,  and  he  forgave  him  freely.  He  was  a 
murderer, — nay,  his  murderer,  as  indeed  we  all  are, —  but  his 
guilt  is  not  so  much  as  noticed  with  a  word.  He  comes  with 
his  mountain-load  of  crimes,  and  he  is  received  without 
rebuke,  without  a  reproving  look,  without  a  moment's  hesi- 
tation, and  he  receives  his  title  to  heaven  without  money  and 
without  price.  He  comes  without  long  preparations  of  self- 
mortification,  without  that  self-righteous  routine  invented  by 
men ;  he  comes  as  he  is,  poor,  blind,  naked,  in  want  of  all 


THE  PENITENT  THIEF  ON  THE  CROSS.       173 

things,  and  is  received  with  open  arms;  he  comes  in  the 
last  hour  of  his  life,  and  finds  the  heart  of  Christ  and  the 
gates  of  heaven  wide  open.  There  is  one  condition,  and  but 
one—  "  Come!" 

But  is  not  this  a  dangerous  doctrine  ?  Will  not  men  on 
that  account  persevere  in  sin  ?  What  if  they  did  ?  I  am 
bound  to  preach  the  Gospel  as  it  is ;  but  I  am  not  responsible 
for  the  abuse  which  wicked  men  may  make  of  it.  Yet,  if 
there  be  here  one  who  means  to  go  to  Calvary  in  order  to 
get  confirmed  in  sin,  be  it  so  !  Let  him  go  there,  and  mark 
well  every  feature  of  the  affecting  scene  on  that  sacred  spot. 
And,  if  the  dying  Saviour  cannot  impress  him  with  the 
holiness  of  God,  the  sacredness  of  his  law,  and  the  exceeding 
sinfulness  of  sin, —  if  he  can  trample  upon  dying  love  with 
true  infernal  contempt, —  if  the  narrow,  hair-breadth  escape 
of  the  repenting  criminal  cannot  make  him  shudder,  nor 
frighten  him  from  his  evil  way, —  then  let  him  turn  his  eyes 
to  the  other  side,  and  on  the  third  cross  he  will  see  a  man  of 
fearful  likeness  to  himself, —  a  standing,  warning  monument 
for  impious,  daring  sinners  like  him, —  a  dying  impenitent 
monster,  mocking  his  Saviour,  and  cursing  his  God  and  his 
King  with  his  last  breath !  That  is  the  cross  which  God 
caused  to  be  erected  for  him  who  dares  abuse  the  death  of 
Christ;  on  that  let  him  look,  until  his  flinty  heart  is 
melted  with  godly  fear,  and  his  very  soul  filled  with  awe ; 
then  he  will  be  prepared  to  profit  by  the  example  of  pen- 
itence and  faith  which  we  have  contemplated  to-day,  and 
to  follow  it ;  to  embrace  the  cross  of  Christ  with  tears  of 
sorrow  and  love,  and  to  exclaim,  believing,  "Lord,  remember 
me!" 

Now  for  a  glance  at  that  precious  scene  when  Christ 
entered  into  the  gates  of  life  with  the  first  fruit  of  his  suf- 
15* 


174  THE   PENITENT  THIEF   ON   THE   CROSS. 

ferings,  and  to  witness  the  welcome  they  received.  But 
this  must  be  reserved  for  another  world.  If  we,  too, 
repent  and  believe,  we  shall  sdon  see  this,  and  all  the  other 
glories  of  heaven,  as  we  are  seen,  and  know  them  as  we 
are  known  ! 


IX. 

THE  BURIAL  OF   CHRIST. 

When  the  even  was  come,  there  came  a  rich  man  of  Arimathea,  named 
Joseph,  who  also  himself  was  Jesus'  disciple  ;  he  went  to  Pilate  and  begged 
the  body  of  Jesus.  Then  Pilate  commanded  the  body  to  be  delivered.  And 
when  Joseph  had  taken  the  body,  he  wrapped  it  in  a  clean  linen  cloth, 
and  laid  it  in  his  own  new  tomb,  which  he  had  hewn  out  in  the  rock  ;  and 
he  rolled  a  great  stone  to  the  door  of  the  sepulchre,  and  departed.  And 
there  was  Mary  Magdalene  and  the  other  Mary,  sitting  over  against  the 
sepulchre.  —  Matthew  27  :  57 — 61.  (Compare  Mark  15  :  42 — 47.  Luke 
23  :  50—56.    John  19  :  38—42.) 

I.  "And  it  was  about  the  sixth  hour,  and  there  was  a 
darkness  over  all  the  earth  until  the  ninth  hour.  And  the 
sun  was  darkened,  and  the  vail  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  the 
midst.  And  when  Jesus  had  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  he  said, 
Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit ;  and  having  said 
thus,  he  gave  up  the  ghost."  (Luke  23:  44 — 46.)  About 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, —  a  significant,  mysterious 
hour, —  the  daily  evening  sacrifice  used  to  be  offered  up  before 
the  tabernacle  of  Jehovah  in  the  wilderness ;  about  three 
o'clock  the  Paschal  lamb  used  to  be  slain  ;  about  three  o'clock 
the  great  atoning  sacrifice  for  our  sins  was  made  by  the  death 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  true  Paschal  lamb  thus  prepared 
for  all  who  long  to  leave  the  Egyptian  darkness  of  human 
reason  and  the  Egyptian  slavery  of  sin  and  of  human  works 


176  THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST. 

for  salvation,  that  they  may  go  out  into  the  light  and  liberty 
of  the  children  of  God.  The  great  work  was  done.  After 
three  o'clock,  the  miraculous  darkness  which  had  commenced 
at  noon  passed  away  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  soldiers 
hastened  to  return  to  their  abode,  and  the  Jews  to  finish  their 
preparations  for  the  Passover.  Jesus  was  dead,  the  battle 
was  fought,  the  victory  won.  Their  rage  was  spent,  though 
not  their  malice.  They  left  the  body  of  Christ,  either  to  the 
impure  hands  of  the  soldiery,  intending  that  it  should  rot 
unburied  according  to  the  Roman  usage,  or,  what  is  more 
likely,  they  committed  it  to  some  servants,  to  throw  it,  with 
the  bodies  of  the  other  malefactors,  into  a  hole  dug  in  some 
impure  place,  that  the  law  (Deuteronomy  21  :  23)  might  not 
be  broken.  And  here  a  difficult  passage  in  Isaiah  58 
receives  light,  and  its  true  construction,  which  our  English 
version  does  not  exhibit.  In  the  ninth  verse  of  that  chapter, 
it  is  said,  "  And  he  made  his  grave  with  the  wicked  and  with 
the  rich  in  his  death;  because  he  had  done  no  violence, 
neither  was  any  deceit  in  his  mouth."  Here  the  most 
cursory  reader  is  likely  to  be  struck  with  the  thought,  that 
Christ,  the  subject  of  the  verse  and  chapter  in  question,  did 
not  make  his  grave  with  the  wicked,  nor  was  he  with  the 
rich  in  his  death.  Rather  contrariwise.  He  was  in  his  death 
with  the  wicked,  and  made  his  grave  with  the  rich,  or,  better, 
with  a  rich  one.  But  a  true  and  accurate  translation  of  the 
passage,  which  is  supported  by  the  strongest  arguments,  even 
aside  from  the  fulfilment,  would  run  thus:  "They  gave 
(appointed  or  ordered)  his  grave  with  the  wicked  ones 
(plural),  and  with  a  rich  one  (sing.)  he  was  in  (or  after)  his 
death  (or  deaths)  ;  because  he  had  done  no  violence,  neither 
had  been  deceit  in  his  mouth." 

Thus  this  remarkable  prediction  has  found  its  accurate  ful- 


THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST.  171 

filment,  and  the  hand  of  Providence  is  clearly  discernible  in 
the  whole  transaction  of  the  burial  of  Christ.  Though  he 
had  done  no  wrong,  and  no  sinful  word  had  ever  been  uttered 
by  him,  his  relentless  enemies  destroyed  him,  and  intended 
to  abuse  even  his  dead  body,  by  giving  it  an  ignominious 
burial  among  outlaws,  and  perhaps  even  among  the  carcasses 
of  brutes.  But  when  the  great  object  of  Christ's  death  was 
attained,  and  the  debt  of  the  world  paid,  God  interposed,  and 
his  beloved  and  innocent  Son  was  honored  with  a  distin- 
guished burial,  and  a  clean  and  honorable  sepulchre ;  and  a 
sepulchre,  too,  which  was  fitted  to  answer  some  other  pur- 
poses of  the  highest  importance,  as  the  history  of  our  Lord's 
resurrection  shows. 

Thus  does  our  heavenly  Father  know  how  to  preserve  from 
undeserved  shame  and  blame  those  that  are  his.  They  are 
the  apple  of  his  eye,  and  their  character  is  as  dear  and  sacred 
to  him  as  his  character  is  to  them, ;  he  will  save  it  at  last 
by  the  right  hand  of  his  omnipotence,  and  those  who  trust  in 
him  shall  never  be  confounded.  It  is  both  the  characteristic 
and  the  privilege  of  the  true  Christian  to  seek  the  glory  and 
the  interests  of  God  and  of  his  kingdom,  and  to  seek  nothing 
else ;  and  to  leave  his  own  character,  and  his  own  interests, 
however  pure  and  sacred  they  may  be,  with  him  whose  all- 
seeing  eye  follows  him  at  every  step,  and  whose  unalterable 
character  and  promises  are  the  unfailing  guarantee  that  truth 
and  innocence  will  conquer  at  last.  0,  what  a  mean  pursuit, 
what  a  desperate  undertaking,  to  seek  one's  own  honor  and 
advantage  '  To  seek  advantage  and  honor  on  an  area  where 
we  meet  with  competitors  without  number,  with  a  few  stoics,  it 
may  be,  as  supercilious  spectators,  and  with  every  wild  beast 
and  every  subtle  serpent  in  human  shape,  as  the  arbiters  of 
the  contest !     Where  all  are  contending  for  all,  each  craving 


178  THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST. 

everything,  will  you  dream  of  getting  it  ?  It  is  like  seeking 
food  in  the  lion's  den ;  the  moment  you  seize  hold  of  it,  the 
monster  will  tear  you  to  pieces.  And  what  if  you  should  get 
it,  what  will  it  be  ?  The  only  way* to  find  and  secure  our 
interests  is  to  promote  the  interests  of  God  and  his  cause ; 
the  only  path  to  true  honor  is  to  seek  the  honor  of  God ;  the 
only  way  to  preserve  our  characters  unsoiled  is  to  do  and 
suffer  the  will  of  our  Father,  and  to  commend  our  cause  to 
him. 

I  do  not  intend  to  say  that  we  must  always  keep  silence  at 
the  calumnies  of  the  wicked.  The  good  of  our  fellow-men, 
and  the  prosperity  of  the  cause  of  Christ,  are  often  identified 
with  our  characters.  Whenever  this  is  the  case,  we  are  not  the 
only  sufferers, —  not,  perhaps,  the  chief  sufferers, —  under  the 
attacks  of  the  enemies  of  truth  and  innocence  ;  and  in  oppos- 
ing truth  to  falsehood,  and  correcting  meekly  the  wrong 
impressions  which  the  slanderer  may  have  made  upon  unin- 
formed and  unsuspecting  men,  we  do  not  defend  ourselves, 
but  those  who  suffer  with  or  by  us,  or  for  our  sakes. 
Indeed,  the  true  Christian  suffers  not  at  all  when  he  is  calum- 
niated, despised  afid  cast  out  as  vile,  either  by  the  world  or 
by  mistaken  and  prejudiced  Christians.  He  has  no  character 
to  save  before  the  world ;  he  has  no  interests  to  secure  on 
earth ;  and  his  character  before  God  and  his  interests  in 
heaven,  what  man  on  earth,  what  evil  spirit  in  hell,  yea,  I 
say  boldly,  what  angel  in  heaven,  will  ever  be  able  to  touch  or 
injure  that?  Rob  him,  beat  him,  revile  him,  kill  him, —  or 
if  you  please,  honor  him,  enrich  him,  praise  him,  worship 
him, —  it  is  all  one  thing  to  him.  You  can  make  him  neither 
poor  nor  rich,  neither  happy  nor  wretched ;  and,  if  he  has 
any  choice,  he  will,  for  his  own  safety,  choose  poverty  rather 
than  wealth,  and  neglect  rather  than  honor ;  lest  he  should 


THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST.  179 

forget  his  heavenly  inheritance  and  call,  and  become  unlike 
to  his  Lord.  He  knows  that  his  Redeemer  liveth,  and  the 
triumphant  song,  "0  death,  where  is  thy  sting?  0  grave, 
where  is  thy  victory?  "  is  his  crown,  his  kingdom,  his  boast, 
his  source  of  ever-flowing  comfort  and  delight.  Who  will 
harm  him  1  What  has  he  to  gain  yet,  who  has  gained 
heaven  ?  What  has  he  to  fear  who  knows  it  is  impossible  he 
should  lose  heaven  ?  Nothing,  absolutely  nothing !  Ten 
thousand  worlds  of  enraged  devils  will  gnash  their  teeth  at 
him  in  vain ;  for  God  is  his  portion  forever.  Only  then, 
when  others  would  suffer  on  his  account,  he  will  open  his 
mouth  while  there  is  hope  that  it  may  do  good.  So  did 
Christ  defend  his  own  character  against  the  Jews,  time  and 
again.  So  did  Paul  speak  " foolishly"  to  the  Corinthians, 
lest  his  apostolic  character  should  suffer,  and  millions  in  every 
age  should  lose  the  benefit  of  his  inspired  writings,  and 
perish.  So  did  Swartz  defend  his  own  innocence,  lest  the 
hand  of  Christian  benevolence  should  be  withdrawn  from 
perishing  Hindostan.  So,  a  few  years  ago,  did  a  good  and 
humble  Christian,  in  a  superstitious  and  despotic  country 
on  this  continent,  expose  vile  slanderers  by  telling  his  plain 
story,  lest  many  of  his  innocent  friends  should  be  crushed 
under  the  heel  of  an  unrighteous  and  mighty  Inquisition. 
Then,  and  only  then,  the  Christian  will  speak  and  act 
seemingly  for  himself,  and  unwillingly  too,  to  save  others 
from  harm.  But  where  he  stands  alone  with  his  interests 
and  character  as  a  Christian,  he  will  suffer,  and  his  meekness 
will  prove  an  irresistible  weapon,  and  a  wall  not  to  be  scaled  ; 
his  cause  will  triumph,  and  heaven  shall  know,  and  often  the 
world,  too,  that  he  is  beloved  of  God,  and  the  heir  of  unfading 
glory.  What  will  you  do  with  a  man  who,  commending  his 
cause  to  God,  defends  himself  no  more  ?     Will  you  attack 


180  THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST. 

him  ?  So  you  may.  And  so  may  any  wild  beast.  In  so 
doing  you  can  only  disgrace  and  injure  yourself;  and  at  last 
God  will  arise  in  his  behalf,  save  and  honor  him,  and  cover 
you  with  well-deserved  reproach  and  shame. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  here,  even  in  the  mere  externals  of 
the  burial  of  Christ.  The  innocent  and  defenceless  Lamb  of 
God/  now  slain  by  wicked  hands,  and  cold,  wras  to  be  buried 
with  the  burial  of  a  thief,  or  a  brute,  and  vile  hirelings  were 
already  preparing  to  do  their  accursed  work,  when  God 
appeared.     For  — 

II.  "  When  the  evening  wras  come,  there  came  a  rich 
man  of  Arimathea,  named  Joseph."  (Matthew.)  Mark 
calls  him  "  an  honorable  councillor,  that  is,  a  councillor  of 
the  Sanhedrim,  who  also  waited  for  a  kingdom  of  God; 
Matthew,  "  a  disciple  of  Jesus;"  John,  "a  secret  disciple  for 
fear  of  the  Jews;"  and  Luke  calls  him  "  a  good  man  and  a 
just,"  who  had  not  consented  to  the  counsel  and  deed  of  the 
Jews  in  the  murder  of  Christ.  He  wTent  in  to  Pilate,  and 
did, —  what  was  indeed  often  done  by  the  relatives  of  a 
criminal,  but  was  highly  unpopular  and  perilous  for  him  in 
this  instance,  — he*  begged  for  the  body  of  Jesus.  "  Boldly  " 
he  went  in,  says  Mark,  not  intending  to  indicate  thereby  the 
manner  in  which  Joseph  petitioned,  but  the  peril  he  encoun- 
tered by  doing  so,  as  if  we  should  say,  he  ventured  in,  he 
dared  to  ask  for  the  body  of  Jesus.  Mary,  the  mother  of 
Jesus,  and  his  relatives,  had  a  natural  right  to  claim  his  dead 
body ;  John  was  a  favorite  and  a'relative  to  the  High  Priest ; 
many  wealthy  and  influential  individuals  of  either  sex,  who 
were  favorable  to  our  Lord,  were  in  Jerusalem  at  this  time ; 
the  fact  of  his  having  been  crucified  was  now  known  through- 
out the  whole  city,  and  the  burial — they  knew  what  it 
would  be.     But  so  great  was  the  terror  struck  into  all  the 


1  HK    BURIAL    OF   CHRIST.  181 

friends  of  Christ,  such  was  the  danger  of  the  undertaking  to 
rescue  even  his  dead  body,  and  so  small  the  prospect  of  suc- 
cess, that  none  of  them  all  seemed  to  rise  to  the  conception 
of  approaching  Pilate  with  a  request  to  this  effect.  Joseph 
ventured  in.  And  what  pious  heart,  that  saw  him  draw  near 
to  the  governor's  palace,  knock  at  the  massy  gate,  and  enter 
in,  would  not  have  wished  him  God  speed,  and  sent  up  to 
heaven  the  ardent  petition  that  God  might  give  him  "  mouth 
and  utterance,"  and  crown  him  with  success  !  And  with 
success  he  was  crowned.  "  Pilate  commanded  the  body  to 
be  delivered,"  and  Joseph  proceeded  with  hasty  steps  to  Cal- 
vary, to  attend  to  the  melancholy  duty  before  the  sun  should 
set. 

Joseph  is  an  example  of  piety  at  court,  and  of  friendship 
and  faithfulness  in  distress.  A  councillor  of  the  Sanhedrim 
at  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  Christ, —  what  situation  could 
there  be  more  unfavorable  to  godliness  than  his  1  His  lot 
had  fallen  into  evil  days.  The  powerful  influence  of  a  cor- 
rupt generation,  and  a  selfish  and  reprobated  clan  of  priests, 
was  naturally  carrying  him  down  to  ruin.  What  dangers 
were  clustering  around  piety  with  him  !  lie  was  rich.  He 
was  honorable,  or  respected.  He  held  an  office.  He  had 
much  of  this  world's  good  things  to  lose ;  and  what  more 
effectual  way  to  injury  and  loss  could  he  pursue  than  that  of 
professing  an  attachment  to  the  hated  Jesus,  who  now  hung 
lifeless  on  the  accursed  tree  ?  He  take  down  from  the  cross 
the  Nazarene,  and  bury  him  in  his  own  grave  !  How  could 
he  ever  take  his  seat  again  in  the  stately  Sanhedrim  ?  How 
lift  up  his  blushing  countenance  before  the  High  Priest  and 
his  father-in-law  ?  What  could  he  answer  to  the  pointed  and 
malicious  remarks  which  would  meet  him  in  every  circle  of 
the  great  and  the  rich  at  Jerusalem  1     How  must  his  family 


182  THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST. 

have  been  ashamed  of  the  degrading  act !  The  very  boys  in 
the  streets  would  hardly  fail  to  point  at  him  as  he  passed,  and 
to  whisper  in  his  hearing.  "  Nazarene,  Galilean  !  "  At  the 
court  of  Herod,  too,  his  influence  was  now  gone ;  and  what 
idea  could  the  Roman  governor  henceforth  have  of  a  man 
who,  with  all  his  advantages  and  opportunities  for  intellectual 
improvement,  turned  out  to  be  the  most  devoted  of  all  the 
deluded,  simple  devotees  of  the  fanciful  and  eccentric  young 
Rabbi  of  Nazareth,  who  had  just  been  crucified  ?  These  and 
a  hundred  other  considerations,  however,  did  not  shake  the 
mind  of  Joseph.  He  had  independence  enough  to  be  what 
he  was.  But  he  had  none  of  the  bravery  which  is  so  high  in 
the  market  among  the  young,  the  bright,  the  rich,  the  literary, 
of  our  refined  and  civilized  age, —  the  bravery  to  oppose  God 
and  despise  Christ.  Yet  had  he  a  kind  of  courage  which 
they,  in  their  turn,  have  not :  that  of  braving  the  great  world, 
of  encountering  the  loss  of  wealth  and  honor,  and  of  follow- 
ing conscience  and  good  sense.  He  may  have  lacked  the 
refinement  and  the  reading  of  many  a  courtier  of  Herod ;  but 
he  knew  what  they  knew  not ;  he  knew  how  to  think,  reflect, 
feel,  pray,  choose,  act  and  suffer,  if  necessary,  for  righteous- 
ness' sake.  He  was  no  mathematician^  no  eclectic  philoso- 
pher, like  Pilate ;  but  he  was,  what  Pilate  was  not,  the  friend 
and  benefactor  of  innocence  at  the  gallows. 

It  is  a  vain  excuse  of  many  among  the  great,  and  one  by 
which  they  pay  no  compliment  to  their  own  principles  and 
character,  that  their  situation  does  not  permit  them  to  be 
pious.  Indeed  !  If  this  be  true,  then  be  a  man,  and  leave 
your  iniquitous  employment  which  keeps  you  from  serving 
God.  Draw  out  the  serpent  from  your  bosom  !  Spit  out 
the  poison  from  your  mouth  !  Crush  the  spark  of  perdition 
that  has  settled  in  the  folds  of  your  garment !     Your  situa- 


THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST.  183 

tion  does  not  permit  you  to  be  pious  !  —  A  fine  excuse  !  It 
will  answer  for  every  thief  and  highway-robber,  for  every 
profane  stage-actor,  and  every  harlot  about  town.  Their 
situation,  too,  will  not  permit  them  to  serve  God.  But,  mark 
it,  your  excuse  is  a  vain  one.  You  cannot  serve  God,  because 
you  are  rich,  because  you  have  an  office,  because  you  are 
at  court,  because  you  are  in  the  army.  Moses  was  even 
brought  up  at  the  court  of  Egypt ;  Obadiah  was  the  first 
man  at  Ahab's  court ;  Daniel  was  a  Babylonian  prince ; 
David,  Josiah  ana1  others,  were  kings ;  the  centurion  in  the 
Gospel  and  Cornelius  were  officers  of  a  heathen  army  ;  Joseph 
of  Arimathea  was  a  rich  man  and  an  honorable  councillor. 
But  they  were  all  pious  men,  and  knew  how  to  serve  God  in 
the  situation  in  which  they  were. 

But  I  cannot  dismiss  this  part  of  our  Meditation  without 
one  glance,  at  least,  into  heaven,  to  consider  with  what  joy  and 
humble  gratitude  the  heart  of  Joseph  must  have  been  filled, 
when,  arriving  at  the  court  above,  he  saw  to  whom  he  had 
ministered  at  that  gloomy  and  distressful  day,  when  both  the 
malice  and  the  darkness  of  the  pit  seemed  to  be  poured  upon 
Jerusalem.  Then  he  thought  he  served  a  holy,  innocent 
man, —  afterwards  faith  taught  him  to  whom  he  had  minis- 
tered,—  but  now  he  saw,  and  behold  he  was  "  the  Word 
made  flesh."  He  was  burying  a  suffering  brother,  he  thought ; 
and,  behold,  he  sees  him  now  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  hav- 
ing an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  being  surrounded  with  the 
worshipping  hosts  of  heaven  !  And  what  a  source  of  rejoic- 
ing must  it  be  to  him  now  !  What  in  a  hundred,  in  a  thou- 
sand, in  millions  of  years !  What  throughout  eternity ! 
Well  might  a  holy  envy  kindle  up  in  our  hearts,  that  ice  did 
not  live  then,  to  bury  Christ,  or  to  do  some  small  service 
towards  it.     All  these  opportunities  to  serve  Christ  while  he 


184  THE   BURIAL    OF   CHRIST. 

was  on  earth  seem  now  to  be  so  many  blessed  monopolies, — 
the  privileges  of  a  few  favored  ones, —  and  we  could  almost 
sit  down  and  weep  that  we  live  at  the  melancholy  distance 
of  eighteen  centuries  from  that  bright  spot  in  the  history  of 
our  planet,  when  the  Lord  of  glory  paid  his  incognito  visit 
to  it,  and  received  a  few  services  ignorantly  done  to  him  by  a 
few  good  people.  But,  my  friends,  weep  not.  Let  not  envy 
tempt  you.  There  is  no  occasion  for  it.  Do  you  want  to 
serve  Christ  1  You  can  do  this  now.  Serve  him  in  the 
temple  of  your  mind.  And,  if  particulaf  external  services 
may  yield  you  any  special  comfort,  behold,  here  are  the  mem- 
bers of  his  body,  his  children,  his  beloved t ones ;  what  you  do 
to  the  least  of  them,  you  do  to  him,  he  has  said.  Behold, 
here  is  a  world  of  perishing  souls,  purchased  by  his  blood. 
Lead  them  to  him,  and  it  will  be  a  more  important  and  wel- 
come service  to  him  than  if  you  buried  him  in  a  tomb  hewn 
in  one  solid  diamond. 

III.  We  now  meet  with  another  good  man.  "  And  there 
came  also  Nicodemus,  who  at  the  first  came  to  Jesus  by 
night,  and  brought  a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes  about  an 
hundred  pound  weight."  (John.)  What  myrrh  is,  we  all 
know.  The  aloes  are  not  the  plant  of  that  name,  from  which 
we  obtain  a  bitter  juice,  but  an  aromatic  tree,  the  wood  of 
which  was  used  (probably  reduced  to  powder)  on  occasions 
like  ours.  A  hundred  pounds  are  none  too  much,  as  many 
have  thought ;  for  such  substances  were  consumed  almost  to 
any  extent,  according  to  the  ability  of  the  family.  At 
Herod's  burial  five  hundred  servants  bearing  ointments 
walked  in  the  train,  as  Josephus  relates.  Part  of  the  aloe- 
wood  was  probably  intended  to  be  burned  in  the  tomb,  to 
produce  its  odor. 

Nicodemus  must  have  been  where  he  observed  the  whole 


THE   BURIAL    OF    CHRIST.  185 

train  of  events  on  that  day,  else  he  could  not  have  been 
present  at  the  fleeting,  hurried  moment  when  Joseph  was 
burying  our  Lord.  But  more.  If  he  did  not  enter  into  a 
common  plan  with  Joseph  to  share  in  that  work  of  love,  he 
must  have  watched  him  as  he  went  from  Calvary  to  the  gov- 
ernor's house.  For  how  could  he  have  had  his  myrrh  and 
aloes  ready,  otherwise  1  Such  things  were  not  kept  in  the 
dispensaries  of  families  in  such  quantities,  but  needed  to  be 
purchased  from  the  druggist.  At  all  events,  he  must  have 
been  ready,  as  soon  as  Pilate's  permission  to  bury  Christ  was 
obtained,  to  set  out  for  the  purchase ;  and  while  Joseph  of 
Arimathea,  John  and  the  .three  women  who  persevered  with 
the  Lord,  took  him  down  from  the  cross,  to  carry  him  to  his 
tomb,  Nicodemus  must  have  made  the  purchase,  and  met  them 
in  the  garden  of  Joseph.  They  must  have  known,  too,  that 
he  would  come  ;  for  they  themselves  procured  nothing  of  this 
kind,  evidently  relying  on  him.  A  lovely  band  of  pious  souls, 
of  very  different  callings  and  habits,  but  united  by  the  bond 
of  perfectness, —  that  bond  which  is  strongest  in  distress, — 
and  engaged  with  one  heart  and  mind  in  the  service  of  their 
common  Lord ! 

John  3  :  Nicodemus  comes  to  Christ  by  night  from  fear  of 
the  Jews,  and  finds  it  very  hard  to  understand  the  great  doc- 
trine of  regeneration.  Chapter  7 :  He  is  present  at  a  furious 
meeting  of  the  Sanhedrim,  ventures  a  trembling  remark 
against  their  unlawful  proceedings  in  reference  to  Christ,  and 

so  put  down  and  silenced  that  we  really  are  led  to  fear  he 

11  never  open  his  mouth  again.  And,  behold,  here  we  meet 
,  all  at  once,  among  the  most  faithful,  liberal  and  per- 
severing friends  of  Christ. 

There  is  not  a  more  lovely  example  than  this  of  the  power 
of  God  "made  perfect  in  weakness."  Poor  Nicodemus! 
16* 


o 

is  sc 
him 


186  THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST. 

how  full  he  was  by  nature  of  unbelieving  fears !  All  the 
time  of  our  Lord's  ministry  he  durst  not  come  out  boldly  and 
openly.  0,  the  High  Priest,  and  his  sacred  office,  and  his 
mighty  family  !  0,  the  formidable  army  of  the  Sanhedrim  ! 
0,  the  popular  Pharisees  and  Scribes  !  0,  the  synagogue, 
the  excommunication  !  0,  the  scoffing  world  !  and,  perhaps, 
even  my  brothers,  my  sisters,  yea,  my  wife,  my  children  ! 
What  black  clouds,  big  with  destruction, —  what  insurmounta- 
ble barriers  to  open  piety,  to  that  unpopular  outcast  profes  - 
sion,  which  is  the  only  one  that  makes  men  miserable  in  this 
world  !  How  he  would  have  loved  to  hear  Christ !  But,  to 
go  with  those  who  went  to  mock  and  to  dispute  his  heart  did 
not  permit  him.  And  to  mingle  with  the  pious,  to  hear 
Jesus  preach  and  teach,  and  to  look  devotional  and  serious,  as, 
indeed,  he  was, —  why,  he  would  have  sunk  into  the  ground, 
if  old  Annas  or  Caiaphas  had  ever  charged  him  with  this  high 
treason  against  the  synagogue !  One  dark  night,  late,  he 
wraps  his  face  into  his  cloak  to  visit  that  lovely,  attractive 
young  Rabbi,  who  seemed  to  turn  the  world  upside  down. 
Nobody  was  to  know  it ;  and  who  can  tell  what  white  lie  the 
poor  man  may  have  told,  as  he  slipt  down  stairs  or  out  of  his 
house,  when  his  unbelieving  wife  or  children  asked  him  where 
he  was  going  so  late  and  in  such  darkness  without  a  lantern ; 
for  you  may  depend  upon  it,  he  took  none  with  him.  In  the 
young  Rabbi's  chamber  he  heard  strange  things  of  a  new 
birth,  a  spiritual  birth,  a  spiritual  kingdom,  and  a  hundred 
other  things  equally  mysterious  and  interesting.  0,  how 
he  abhorred  now  the  childish,  crazy  casuistry  of  their  corrupt 
traditions  !  Here  is  religion,  here  is  eternal  life,  if  anywhere, 
he  thought.  Here  let  me  build  a  tabernacle.  But  no ;  he 
must  go  home.  And  there,  alas !  he  meets  again  his  scold- 
ing wife,  his  distracted  son,  his  worldly-minded  daughter,  his 


THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST.  187 

thoughtless  relatives.  In  the  morning  he  is,  perhaps,  called 
to  the  High  Priest,  and  received  with  great  cordiality  and 
brotherly  affection ;  he  hears  one  bad  story  after  another 
about  Christ ;  on  the  table  lies  written  upon  parchment,  in 
broad  characters,  the  awful  curse  upon  every  one  who  should 
profess  Christ  to  be  the  Messiah.  A  resistless  tide  carries 
him  down  again  into  doubt,  fear,  unbelief  and  weakness. 
Once  more,  when  he  is  an  eye  and  ear  witness  of  the  iniqui- 
tous, lawless  spirit  of  the  Sanhedrim,  he  rises  and  speaks  a 
word ;  but,  alas !  a  flood  of  contumelies  and  menaces  over- 
whelms him,  and  sweeps  away  all  his  courage.  But,  when  all 
his  own  courage  was  swept  away,  then  came  that  courage 
which  is  from  above.  When  his  own  strength  was  all  spent, 
then  the  power  of  God  was  made  perfect  in  him. 

Nor  is  this  strange.  The  work  of  God  in  us  begins  where 
ours  ceases.  "  When  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong,"  says 
Paul ;  and,  if  there  be  anything  paradoxical  to  reason,  it  is  this 
saying.  But  in  the  spiritual  life  of  the  Christian  it  has  its 
root  struck  through  and  through,  and  its  most  profound  and 
important  meaning.  While  we  are  strong  in  ourselves,  there 
is  no  hope  for  us.  But  when  the  lamentation,  "Lord,  save 
us,  or  we  perish !  "  bursts  out  from  our  distressed  and  melt- 
ing hearts,  then  the  day  begins  to  dawn.  Why,  the  very 
seeds  must  rot  before  they  can  bud.  And  it  is  a  fact,  God 
despises  all  human  strength,  and  will  not  have  it.  Therefore 
he  breaks  the  bones  of  the  lion,  and  flings  him  aside  into  the 
field  to  rot,  and  then,  after  a  little  while,  meat  comes  forth 
from  the  eater,  and  sweetness  from  the  strong. 

Rejoice,  therefore,  ye  weak  ones  !  You  are  the  vessels  of 
divine  grace,  and  the  instruments  of  God.  If  any  mountains 
are  to  be  removed,  you  will  remove  them ;  if  any  Goliah  is  to 
be  slain,  he   shall   fall   by  your  hands.     Yea,  more.     The 


188  THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST. 

hands  of  the  strong  ones  shall  droop  nerveless,  and  they 
themselves  shall  sink  and  perish  ;  but  your  weak  hands  shall 
renew  their  strength  and  hold  on  to  the  cross  through  life 
and  death,  till  you  awake  in  the  bosom  of  your  Saviour !  0 
that  we  had  many  Nicodemuses  about  us,  weak,  poor  sinners  ! 
But,  alas  !  men  are  apt  to  be  strong  like  Annas  and  Caiaphas, 
they  are  all  wise  like  Pilate,  and  great  and  rich  like  Herod ; 
and  if  Christ,  the  poor,  pious  carpenter's  son,  the  blameless 
but  hated  sectarian,  was  to  be  buried  to-day,  this  whole  city 
would  probably  furnish  precious  few  Josephs,  Nicodemuses, 
and  Marys.     And  should  we  be  among  them,  my  friends  1 

IV.  Jerusalem  was  surrounded  with  gardens.  One  of 
them,  belonging  to  Joseph,  was  situated  near  the  place  where 
Christ  was  executed.  The  whole  district  of  Jerusalem  is 
rocky.  The  limestone  of  which  it  consists  becomes  harder 
as  one  descends,  but  is  soft  when  situated  high.  In  one  of 
these  rocks,  belonging  to  Joseph's  garden,  he  had  caused  his 
own  intended  sepulchre  to  be  cut  out,  according  to  the  exist- 
ing custom,  and  a  large  stone  slab  was  also  prepared  to  guard 
the  entrance.  No  corpse  had  ever  been  deposited  there. 
Here  Christ  was  to  rest.  They  intended  to  give  him  a  grave 
among  the  wicked ;  but  with  a  rich  and  honorable  man  was 
he  after  his  death.  Nicodemus  was  at  hand  with  his  spices. 
Joseph  had  bought  some  fine  linen  to  wrap  up  the  body  with 
a  part  of  the  spices  of  Nicodemus.  Perhaps  the  linen  was 
made  into  a  long  gown,  for  the  word  indicates  both.  Around 
his  head  they  wound  a  napkin.  It  must  now  have  been  late. 
John,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  Christ,  are  not  present.  They 
seem  to  have  returned  as  soon  as  they  knew  where  the  corpse 
was  to  be  carried.  Poor  Mary !  she  was  already  advanced 
in  years,  and  must  have  suffered  much  that  day  !  As  soon  as 
she  knew  the  body  of  her  beloved  son  was  in  the  hands  of 


THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST.  189 

friends,  who  were  to  keep  it  till,  after  the  feast,  the  formal 
burial  could  be  attended  to,  she  seems  to  have  been  prevailed 
upon  to  return  home  with  John,  whose  mother  she  had  be- 
come. We  find,  therefore,  only  Joseph,  Nicodemus,  Mary 
Magdalene,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  Joses,  at  the  sepulchre ; 
and  probably  a  few  other  female  believers.  Hastily  they  now 
deposited  the  body  of  Christ  there,  because  of  the  Jews'  pre- 
paration ;  for  the  sepulchre  was  nigh  at  hand.  And  they 
rolled  the  stone  unto  the  door  of  the  sepulchre,  and  departed. 
Here  finishes  the  history  of  our  Lord's  burial. 

Ideas  can  be  written  down,  and  objects  can  be  painted,  but 
emotions  yield  neither  to  the  pen  nor  to  the  brush.  Every 
one  must  experience  for  himself  what  it  is  to  spend  a  solitary 
hour  in  the  solemn  sepulchre  of  Christ.  Gethsemane  and 
Calvary  are  awful  places.  The  one  will  melt  you  down  with 
fear  and  fluctuating  hope,  the  other  with  love  and  gratitude 
and  sorrow.  But  the  scenes  there  are  almost  too  much  for 
poor  human  nature  ;  the  emotions  which  storm  through  your 
breast  overmatch  you;  deep  calls  upon  deep;  Jehovah  is 
passing  by,  in  storm,  earthquake  and  fire,  and  your  thoughts 
are  swallowed  up  before  they  ripen.  Yet  these  are  truly 
precious  exercises  to  the  dead,  paralyzed  soul  of  fallen  man, 
and  the  very  strokes  of  the  electricity  of  heaven.  But  when 
you  are  awakened,  terrified,  warned,  quickened,  melted  there, 
then,  0  then,  come,  sit  down  in  the  cool,  dusky  sepulchre  of 
Jesus ;  shut  out  the  world ;  gather  in  every  thought ;  shut 
the  door,  and  listen  to  the  still  small  voice  of  Jehovah.  Here, 
between  these  silent  walls,  time  and  space  will  vanish,  and 
you  will  deceive  yourself  no  more  with  ideas  of  great  and 
small,  and  with  fair  promises  of  futurities  that  never  come ; 
but,  as  the  starry,  boundless  firmament  falls  whole  into  your 
little  eye  at  even,  so  shall  eternity  fall  into  your  soul.     Here 


190  THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST. 

the  storm  of  sins,  passions,  wishes,  duties  and  idle  sorrows 
and  idle  joys,  will  cease  to  roar ;  a  deep  calm  will  follow,  and 
the  unexplored  ocean  of  your  mind  will  reflect  the  counte- 
nance of  heaven.  0,  it  is  a  good,  it  is  an  awful  place  !  But, 
if  the  place  is  one  fit  for  solemn  reflection,  the  scene  is  infi- 
nitely more  so.  Your  sepulchre  is  not  empty.  But  one 
step  from  you  there  lies  a  corpse,  there  shines  a  pale  and 
lifeless  countenance,  that  speaks  worlds.  Who  is  it  ?  Who  ? 
A  youth, —  an  innocent,  a  holy  youth  !  Ah.  more  than  that, 
more  than  language  can  express.  Why  did  he  die  so  soon  ? 
How  did  he  die  ?  For  whom  ?  —  Down  with  your  face  upon 
the  cold,  damp  stone,  and  answer — answer!  He  was  mar- 
tyred to  death ;  his  soul  is  gone,  and  where  ?  —  To  heaven,  to 
to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  For  me? — Yes,  for  you,  sinner, 
poor,  perishing  sinner,  for  you  !  0  love  divine  !  thou  art 
almighty  ;  thou  hast  conquered  ;  I  am  forever  thine  !  Amen, 
so  be  it !  Look  into  his  face ;  it  is  yet  full  of  love.  The 
features  of  other  dead  men,  though  sinners  and  selfish,  smile, 
as  though  even  their  departing  spirits  wished  to  leave  the 
expression  of  kindness  upon  the  clay  which  they  inhabited. 
Here  is  the  countenance  of  love,  of  divine  benevolence  itself. 
Have  you  no  emotion,  no  tear  of  pious  gratitude,  for  him  ? 
Impossible  !  Where  is  the  monster  of  a  son  that  can  stare 
insensibly  on  the  pale  face  of  his  father's  corpse?  Where  the 
serpent  of  a  daughter  that  can  turn  away  with  a  dry  eye  from 
her  lifeless  mother's  smile  ?  Where  is  the  stout-hearted, 
unnatural  parent,  who  can  nail  up  the  coffin  of  his  offspring 
without  a  falling  tear  ?  Here  is  more  than  father,  more  than 
mother,  son,  or  daughter.  Here  is  "  the  Word"  "made 
flesh,"  the  Son  of  God,  the  Saviour,  the  almighty,  faithful 
friend  of  your  perishing  soul ;  here  he  is,  murdered  innocently, 


THE   BURIAL   OF   CHRIST.  191 

that  you }  his  murderer, — you,  the  murderer  of  your  own 
soul  and  of  the  souls  of  many  others, —  might  live. 

But  I  have  said  it,  emotions  are  not  expressible  by  words. 
The  feelings  which  the  calm,  devout  contemplation  of  the 
"man  of  sorrows"  kindles  in  the  heart  are  sealed  like  the 
seven  mysterious  thunders  of  the  apocalypse ;  they  must  be 
felt.  It  is  but  folly  to  Herod,  the  worldling,  if  he  hears  us 
talk  of  the  beauties  of  Jesus'  bleeding  head, —  of  that  closed 
eye,  those  pale  lips,  those  cold  cheeks,  the  prints  of  those 
nails,  and  the  deep  wound  in  his  side.  It  is  grievous  to 
Caiaphas,  the  self-righteous  casuist  and  moralist,  to  hear  of 
the  dying  love  of  Christ  to  sinners.  The  story  of  the  Gos- 
pel is  nonsense  to  Pilate,  the  wise  man  of  this  world.  Away 
with  them,  and  the  profane  crowd  that  follows  them  in  every 
age, —  away  with  them  from  the  sepulchre  of  Christ!  But 
let  the  thinking,  reflecting,  the  poor,  the  humble,  come, 
and  let  their  meditations  be  undisturbed.  Heaven's  gate  is 
open  while  they  dwell  in  the  silent  cave.  Jesus  is  there,  and 
this  is  enough. 

But,  while  in  this  changing  world,  they  cannot  always 
remain  at  the  delightful  spot  which  we  have  visited  to-day. 
Duty  calls  them  out,  and  they  follow ;  but,  as  they  go  out, 
they  take  Christ  with  them,  and  often,  while  externally  em- 
ployed in  secular  works,  their  heart,  their  spirit,  ever  and 
anon  breathes  the  spicy  atmosphere  of  the  sacred  tomb.  ' '  All 
the  thoughts  and  exercises  of  my  mind,"  says  a  certain  devout 
man,  "are  employed  in  the  tomb  of  Jesus.  He  is  dead;  I 
die  with  him.  To  please  him,  I  will  mortify  my  sinful  flesh. 
All  my  desires  and  lusts  will  I  take  captive.  I  will  bury 
them  in  his  grave.  Never  shall  they  rule  again  in  me.  His 
death  shall  be  my  life.  If  I  die  with  him.  I  shall  also  live 
with  him.     I  will  wet  his  grave  with  tears  of  penitence.     My 


192  THE   BURIAL  OF   CHRIST. 

heart  shall  be  the  fine  clean  linen  into  which  I  will  wrap  him. 
Thus  will  his  sufferings  bless  my  soul.  I  will  seal  up  his 
remembrance  in  my  heart.  Love  shall  be  the  seal.  When  I 
die,  I  shall  die  in  his  arms.  Delightful  rest  shall  I  enjoy 
there.  His  shroud  shall  be  my  ornament  j  his  coffin  my 
grave." 

0,  my  friends,  we  must  die  with  Christ,  we  must  be  buried 
with  him,  or  we  shall  never  rise,  never  live,  never  reign  with 
him.  To  die  to  the  world, —  to  die  to  ourselves, —  0,  it  is  a 
great  lesson  !  But,  if  the  sacred  Word  before  us,  and  if  all 
the  laws  of  the  universe  and  the  deep  and  silent  warnings  and 
groanings  of  conscience,  are  not  so  many  lies,  then  it  is  the 
only  way  yet  open  for  us  to  escape  the  eternal  terrors  of  the 
second  death.  Only  he  who  dies  with  Christ  may,  like  him, 
boldly  march  up  to  the  king  of  terrors  with  the  triumphant 
song  in  his  mouth,  "  0  death,  where  is  thy  sting?  0  grave, 
where  is  thy  victory  %  "     Amen. 


X. 

THE  GREAT  MORNING. 

In  the  end  of  the  Sabbath,  as  it  began  to  dawn  toward  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  came  Mary  Magdalene  and  the  other  Mary  to  see  the  sepulchre. 
And,  behold,  there  was  a  great  earthquake  :  for  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
descended  from  heaven,  and  came  and  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door, 
and  sat  upon  it.  His  countenance  was  like  lightning,  and  his  raiment 
white  as  snow.  And  for  fear  of  him  the  keepers  did  shake,  and  became  as 
dead  men.  And  the  angel  answered  and  said  unto  the  women,  Fear  not 
ye  ;  for  I  know  that  ye  seek  Jesus,  which  was  crucified.  He  is  not  here  ; 
for  he  is  risen,  as  he  said.  Come,  see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay  ;  and 
go  quickly,  and  tell  his  disciples  that  he  is  risen  from  the  dead  ;  and 
behold,  he  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee  ;  there  shall  ye  see  him  ;  lo,  I 
have  told  you.  And  they  departed  quickly  from  the  sepulchre  with  fear 
and  great  joy,  and  did  run  to  bring  his  disciples  word.  And  as  they  went  to 
tell  his  disciples,  behold,  Jesus  met  them,  saying,  All  hail.  And  they  came 
and  held  him  by  the  feet,  and  worshipped  him.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them, 
Be  not  afraid  ;  go  tell  my  brethren,  that  they  go  into  Galilee,  and  there 
shall  they  see  me.  Now,  when  they  were  going,  behold,  some  of  the  watch 
e  into  the  city,  and  showed  unto  the  Chief  Priests  all  the  things  that 
ere  done.  And  when  they  were  assembled  with  the  elders,  and  had  taken 
counsel,  they  gave  large  money  unto  the  soldiers,  saying,  Say  ye,  His  dis- 
ciples came  by  night,  and  stole  him  away  while  we  slept.  And  if  this  come 
to  the  governor's  ears,  we  will  persuade  him,  and  secure  you.  So  they 
took  the  money,  and  did  as  they  were  taught ;  and  this  saying  is  commonly 
reported  among  the  Jews  until  this  day.  —  Matt.  28  :  1 — 15. 

And  when  the  Sabbath  was  past,  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary  the  mother 
of  James  and  Salome,  had  bought  sweet  spices,  that  they  might  come  and 
anoint  him.     And  very  early  in  the  morning,  the  first  day  of  the  week, 

17 


snai 
cam 
wen 


194  THE   GREAT   MORNING. 

they  came  unto  the  sepulchre  at  the  rising  of  the  sun.  And  they  said 
among  themselves,  Who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the 
sepulchre  ?  And  when  they  looked,  they  saw  that  the  stone  was  rolled 
away  ;  for  it  was  very  great.  And  entering  into  the  sepulchre,  they  saw 
a  young  man  sitting  on  the  right  side,  clothed  in  a  long  white  garment ; 
and  they  wefe  affrighted.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Be  not  affrighted  ;  ye 
seek  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which  was  crucified  ;  he  is  risen  ;  he  is  not  here  ; 
behold  the  place  where  they  laid  him.  But  go  your  way  ;  tell  his  disciples 
and  Peter  that  he  goeth  before  you  in'  .  Galilee  ;  there  shall  ye  see  him,  as 
he  said  unto  you.  And  they  went  out  quickly,  and  fled  from  the  sepul- 
chre ;  for  they  trembled,  and  were  amazed  ;  neither  said  they  anything  to 
any  man,  for  they  were  afraid.  Now,  when  Jesus  was  risen  early,  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  he  appeared  first  to  Mary  Magdalene,  out  of  whom  he  had 
cast  seven  devils.  And  she  went  and  told  them  that  tad  been  with  him, 
as  they  mourned  and  wept.  And  they,  when  they  had  heard  that  he  was 
alive,  and  had  been  seen  of  her,  believed  not.  —  Mark  16  :  1 — 11. 

Now,  upon  the  first  day  of  the  week,  very  early  in  the  morning,  they 
came  unto  the  sepulchre,  bringing  the  spices  which  they  had  prepared,  and 
certain  others  with  them.  And  they  found  the  stone  rolled  away  from  the 
sepulchre.  And  they  entered  in,  and  found  not  the  body  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  were  much  perplexed  thereabout,  behold, 
two  men  stood  by  them  in  shining  garments.  And  as  they  were  afraid, 
and  bowed  down  their  faces  to  the  earth,  they  said  unto  them,  Why  seek 
ye  the  living  among  the  dead  ?  He  is  not  here,  but  is  risen  ;  remember 
how  he  spake  unto  you  when  he  was  yet  in  Galilee,  saying,  The  Son  of  Man 
must  be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  sinful  men,  and  be  crucified,  and  the 
third  day  rise  again.  And  they  remembered  his  words,  and  returned  from 
the  sepulchre,  and  told  all  these  things  unto  the  eleven,  and  to  all  the 
rest.  It  was  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Joanna,  and  Mary  the  mother  of 
James,  and  other  women  that  were  with  them,  which  told  these  things 
unto  the  apostles.  And  their  words  seemed  to  them  as  idle  tales,  and  they 
believed  them  not.  Then  arose  Peter,  and  ran  unto  the  sepulchre  ;  and, 
stooping  down,  he  beheld  the  linen  clothes  laid  by  themselves,  and  departed, 
wondering  in  himself  at  that  which  was  come  to  pass.  —  Luke  24  :  1 — 12. 

The  first  day  of  the  week  cometh  Mary  Magdalene  early,  when  it  was 
yet  dark,  unto  the  sepulchre,  and  seeth  the  stone  taken  away  from  the 
sepulchre.  Then  she  runneth,  and  cometh  to  Simon  Peter,  and  to  the 
other  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved,  and  saith  unto  them,  They  have  taken 
away  the  Lord  out  of  the  sepulchre,  and  wc  know  not  where  they  have  laid 


THE   GREAT  MORNING.  195 

him.  Peter  therefore  went  forth,  and  that  other  disciple,  and  came  to  the 
sepulchre.  So  they  ran  both  together,  and  the  other  disciple  did  outrun 
Peter,  and  came  first  to  the  sepulchre.  And  he,  stooping  down,  and  look- 
ing in,  saw  the  linen  clothes  lying  ;  yet  went  he  not  in.  Then  cometh 
Simon  Peter  following  him,  and  went  into  the  sepulchre,  and  seeth  the 
linen  clothes  lie,  and  the  napkin  that  was  about  his  head  not  lying  with 
the  linen  clothes,  but  wrapped  together  in  a  place  by  itself.  Then  went  in 
also  that  other  disciple,  which  came  first  to  the  sepulchre;  and  he  saw,  and 
believed.  For  as  yet  they  knew  not  the  Scripture,  that  he  must  rise  again 
from  the  dead.  Then  the  disciples  went  away  again  unto  their  own  home. 
But  Mary  stood  without  at  the  sepulchre,  weeping  ;  aud,  as  she  wept,  she 
stooped  down,  and  looked  into  the  sepulchre,  and  seeth  two  angels  in  white, 
sitting,  the  one  at  the  head,  and  the  other  at  the  feet,  where  the  body  of 
Jesus  had  lain.  And  they  say  unto  her,  Woman,  why  weepest  thou  ?  She 
saith  unto  them,  Because  they  have  taken  away  my  Lord,  and  I  know  not 
where  they  have  laid  him.  And  when  she  had  thus  said,  she  turned  herself 
back,  and  saw  Jesus  standing,  and  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus.  Jesus  saith 
unto  her,  Woman,  why  weepest  thou  ?  whom  seekest  thou  ?  She,  suppos- 
ing him  to  be  the  gardener,  saith  unto  him,  Sir,  if  thou  have  borne  him 
hence,  tell  me  where  thou  hast  laid  him,  and  I  will  take  him  away.  Jesus 
saith  unto  her,  Mary.  She  turned  herself,  and  saith  unto  him,  Rabboni, 
which  is  to  say,  Master.  Jesus  saith  unto  her,  Touch  me  not,  for  I  am  not 
yet  ascended  to  my  Father  ;  but  go  to  my  brethren,  and  say  unto  them,  I 
ascend  unto  my  Father,  and  your  Father  ;  and  to  my  God,  and  your  God. 
Mary  Magdalene  came  and  told  the  disciples  that  she  had  seen  the  Lord, 
and  that  he  had  spoken  these  things  unto  her.  —  John  20  :  1 — 18. 

The  history  of  our  Lord's  resurrection  from  the  dead  forms 
the  second  part  of  the  general  subject  upon  which  our  series  of 
discourses  treats.  It  is  also  the  shorter  part.  For,  although 
the  former  occupied  only  the  space  of  six  days,  while  this  cov- 
ers forty  days,  so  few  of  the  events  of  this  period  are  recorded, 
that  it  seems  hardly  to  compare  with  the  last  week  of  our 
Lord's  mortal  life,  if  you  number  the  scenes,  or  regard  the 
particularity  with  which  the  attending  circumstances  are 
stated.  I  call  this  the  second  part,  because  the  nature  of  our 
scene  has  changed,  almost  throughout,  and  in  many  respects 


196  THE   GREAT   MORNING. 

from  one  pole  to  the  other.  Thus  far  the  picture  was  full  of 
gloom.  Satan  went  on  from  victory  to  victory.  Christ  wept 
even  at  his  triumphal  entrance  into  the  holy  city ;  and  what  he 
endured  amid  the  contentions  of  his  disciples  for  preeminence, 
and  from  the  anticipation  of  his  separation  from  them,  and 
what  he  suffered  at  Gethsemane,  before  the  Sanhedrim,  before 
Pilate,  before  Herod  and  his  court,  in  the  judgment-hall, 
under  "the  horrible  whip"  of  the  Eoman  soldiers,  before  the 
raging  mob,  and  on  Golgotha,  we  have  seen  successively. 
We  have,  I  trust,  mourned  and  suffered  with  him,  and  that 
for  our  good.  As  his  last  hour  approached,  we  heard  him 
praying  in  the  midst  of  wrongs,  comfort  others  while  himself 
distressed  ;  we  saw  him  save  others  while  he  was  surrounded 
with  death ;  then,  overwhelmed  with  the  terrors  of  convulsed 
nature,  and  still  more  with  the  sins  of  a  world,  the  penalties 
of  a  broken  law,  and  the  awful  darkness  spread  over  his 
Father's  countenance,  we  saw  him  almost  despair;  we  saw 
him  struggle,  conquer,  pray  again,  and  die  for  us ;  and  the 
mingled  and  changing  emotions  of  our  breasts  were  as  when 
the  stormy  wind  rolls  up  clouds  on  the  horizon,  and  piles  and 
towers  them  up  as  though  an  eternal  and  heaven-high  wall 
was  to  be  fixed,  to  shut  out  light  and  life  from  us  forever. 
Here  and  there,  indeed,  a  ray  shot  through,  and  the  storm, 
defeating  its  own  purpose,  unveiled  now  and  then  the  pure 
sky,  and  by  its  own  gloom  set  forth  the  loveliness  of  its  color ; 
yet,  on  the  whole,  the  element  about  us  was  full  of  frown  and 
thunder ;  and,  had  this  scene  lasted  forever,  existence  would 
have  been  a  burden.  By  and  by,  however,  the  clouds  passed, 
the  storm  ceased  howling,  Jesus  slept  and  rested  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  world  and  of  Satan.  We  buried  him  among  lov- 
ing friends ;  we  saw  the  tear  of  affection  shed ;  and  the  Medi- 
tations to  which  we  attended  in  his  solemn  and  silent  grave, 


THE   GREAT   MORNING.  197 

were,  I  trust,  sweet  and  profitable  to  us.  Now,  the  sun  is 
about  to  rise.  The  cock  has  crowed  time  and  again. 
Already  the  light  glimmers  in  the  east.  Pious  women,  here 
and  there,  in  the  slumbering  city,  prepare  their  spices  and 
ointments  to  visit  the  sacred  grave;  and  we  are  called  to 
accompany  them,  to  share  in  their  work  of  love,  their  anxie- 
ties, and  their  joys.  Angels  are  again  winging  their  way 
down  to  earth,  now  on  the  most  glorious  errand  they  ever 
knew ;  and  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth  a  supernatural  power 
moves,  to  strike  its  solid  pillars,  and  to  shake  its  deep-cast 
foundations.  What!  the  "  Father  of  lights  "  himself,  the 
"righteous,"  the  "holy  Father,"  who  had  beheld  his  "holy 
child  Jesus  "  throughout  his  great  contest  with  infinite  delight, 
prepares  in  the  heaven  of  heavens  to  raise  ' '  the  first-begotten 
of  the  dead  "  by  his,  the  Father's,  own  glory, —  that  is,  by  his 
own  glorious  power, —  in  order  thus  to  bear  his  personal  witness 
to  his  love  for  his  Eternal  Son,  and  to  the  perfect  satisfaction 
which  his  death  had  given  to  the  inviolable  law  of  an  infinitely 
holy  God.  And  Christ  himself  prepares  to  take  again  the  life 
he  had  freely  laid  down  for  us.  Thus  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
join  in  the  glorious  work.  The  poor,  forsaken  sufferer  of 
Gethsemane  and  Golgotha  takes  again  the  life  wThich  he  laid 
down,  and  all  the  prerogatives  of  absolute  divinity.  Christ 
prepares  to  rise.  Rise,  my  soul,  with  him,  and  for  one  hour 
breathe  the  atmosphere  of  the  new  creation  !  For  thee  he 
died,  and,  immortal  thanks  be  to  him,  for  thee  he  rises 
again. 

The  remainder  of  our  task,  my  friends,  is  a  delightful  one. 
Yet  it  is  no  less  difficult,  interesting  and  important,  and  I 
approach  it  with  trembling  diffidence.  It  is  difficult,  because 
the  accounts  of  Evangelists  are  seemingly  irreconcilable,  and 
have  been  pronounced,  boldly  and  often,  to  be  really  so. 
17* 


198  THE   GREAT  MORNING. 

And  we  are  to  reconcile  them.  It  is  an  interesting  task,  [ 
say,  because  the  story  is  an  unique  one.  Christ,  whom  we 
have  to  accompany,  to  see,  to  hear,  to  observe,  lives  and 
moves  no  more  in  a  mortal  but  in  an  immortal  body,  which, 
not  by  miracle,  but  by  nature,  is  exempt  from  the  laws  of 
matter.  Now  he  is  in  heaven,  now  on  earth  ;  now  here,  now 
there ;  he  needs  no  food,  but  he  can  take  it  without  preju- 
dice to  the  spirituality  of  his  frame.  We  see,  as  it  were,  in 
a  glass,  yea,  in  reality,  what  we  are  intended  to  become.  He 
is  altogether  the  same  as  before  in  his  love  and  kindness 
to  his  own,  and  his  plan  and  his  work  have  not  changed  :  but 
he  acts  and  speaks  with  absolute  authority,  and  he  returns 
at  last  to  his  kingdom  in  a  divine  triumph,  leaving  behind  him 
a  church,  a  preacher  of  eternal  righteousness  to  every  creat- 
ure, together  with  the  unfailing  promises  of  his  Spirit,  and  of 
his  ultimate  coming  to  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  and 
to  renovate  heaven  and  earth.  It  is  an  important  task,  I 
say,  because  the  resurrection  of  Christ  is  the  seal  of  religion, 
the  foundation  of  every  Christian's  hope,  and  the  sure  pledge 
of  eternal  ruin  to  every  despiser  of  his  love.  "  The  task  is 
great  and  arduous  "  (I  use  the  words  of  Augustin),  "  but 
God  is  our  help."  If  he  will  vouchsaTe  to  me  his  assistance 
(and  I  think  he  has  often  done  so  during  the  course  of  these 
Meditations),  I  shall  anticipate  much  of  divine  enjoyment  and 
profit  for  myself  and  those  who  may  hear  me. 

Our  plan  will  be,  or  rather  remain,  simple  through  the 
remainder  of  these  discourses.  We  shall  reconcile  the  Evan- 
gelists in  their  accounts  of  Easter  forenoon,  where  they  seem 
chiefly  to  disagree, —  and  this  will  be  our  task  to-day ;  after- 
wards we  shall  dwell  in  order  upon  those  few  apparitions  of 
our  Lord,  the  particulars  of  which  we  read  in  the  Gospels  ; 
and,  finally,  we  shall  attend  to  the  ascension  of  Christ,  and 


THE    GREAT  MORNING.  199 

hear  his  parting  command  to  us,  and  his  parting  promise. 
"  And  this  we  will  do,  if  God  permit." 

To  prevent  all  misunderstanding  in  our  Meditation  to-day, 
I  must  premise  two  remarks. 

We  shall  in  this  instance  find  time  only  for  the  exhibition 
of  a  connected  and  continuous  account  of  the  events  of  the 
forenoon  after  our  Lord's  resurrection,  without  being  able  to 
show,  at  every  step,  how  this  arrangement  is  the  preferable 
one,  why  this  harmony  of  the  four  Evangelists  is  satisfac- 
tory. This  my  hearers  may  easily  do  themselves,  if  they 
will  just  take  the  trouble  to  read  and  compare  those  short 
portions  of  Scripture  which  I  have  taken  for  my  text.  But, 
to  succeed  in  their  examination  of  the  consistency  of  what  I 
shall  state,  they  must  keep  in  view  that  there  are  various 
ways  of  relating  facts,  of  which  the  Evangelists  make  use  just 
like  other  men. 

I  remark,  therefore,  first,  that  there  are  three  different 
methods  of  relating :  (a)  the  proper  chronological  method, 
that  is,  that  of  relating  the  several  facts  of  the  history  of  a 
nation,  or  a  century,  or  a  man,  more  or  less  selected  and 
abridged,  but  each  in  its  place  and  order  of  time ;  (U)  the 
particular,  or  disconnecting  method,  if  you  permit  me  to  call 
it  so,  that  is,  that  which  takes  one  fact  out  of  a  larger  num- 
ber, and  gives  it  in  its  details,  without  connecting  it  before  or 
after  with  the  adjoining  events.  All  anecdotes  are  of  this 
kind.  Of  such  facts  John  has  given  us  a  number  in  his 
Gospel,  and  especially  in  the  history  of  our  Lord's  resurrec- 
tion; (c)  the  collective  method,  that  is,  that  which  takes 
similar  events  and  circumstances  together,  and  gives  them  to 
us  without  any  reference  to  order  or  time,  intending  merely  to 
state  facts.  Thus  the  three  first  Evangelists  state  that  females 
went  out  early  to  the  sepulchre,  merely  because  it  was  a  fact 


200  THE   GREAT   MORNING. 

that  some  females  did  go  oat,  though  not  at  the  same  horn, 
nor  together ;  and  they  state  what  happened  in  and  at  the 
sepulchre,  and  on  the  return  of  the  women,  merely  because  it 
did  thus  happen,  but  wholly  aside  from  the  order  of  time.  So 
you  will  find  sentiments  uttered  by  our  Lord,  and  parables 
frequently  arranged  together  upon  this  very  same  principle, 
without  any  reference  to  chronology.  And  that  this  method 
has  been  adopted  by  some  of  the  best  ancient  writers  is  well 
known.  In  harmonizing,  therefore,  the  accounts  of  different 
writers,  you  must  always  be  careful  to  inquire  whether  they 
do  pursue  the  same  method,  or  different  ones ;  and  if  differ- 
ent ones,  then  you  must,  in  point  of  time,  rectify  the  collect- 
ive relation  by  the  chronological  one,  and  complete  and 
arrange  it  in  its  details  by  the  particular  account  at  your  com- 
mand. Otherwise  you  get  yourself  into  unnecessary  and 
endless  trouble.  This  is  the  way  in  which  I  shall  endeavor 
to  harmonize  the  events  of  the  history  before  us. 

The  second  remark  I  wish  to  make  is  intended  to  free  you 
at  once  from  unnecessary  anxieties,  as  though  the  reality  of 
Christ  s  resurrection  was  now  depending  upon  my  success,  or 
that  of  any  other  man,  in  harmonizing  its  accounts.  I  should 
not  tremble  if  it  were,  but  you  perhaps  would.  But  this  is 
not  the  case.  There  lies  so  much  of  agreement  and  harmony 
on  the  very  surface  of  the  Evangelists,  even  in  the  calumni- 
ated history  of  the  resurrection,  that  it  would  have  been  the 
verdict  of  truth  before  any  civil  bar  of  justice.  You  shall 
judge  for  yourselves.  The  great  features  of  it  are  alike  in 
all  the  four  Evangelists. 

The  points  of  unquestionable  and  unquestioned  agreement 
are  as  follows  :  1.  Christ  rose  from  the  dead  on  the  third 
day  after  his  crucifixion.  2.  The  event  was  first  announced 
to  some  female  believers,  and  not  to  the  eleven  disciples.     3. 


THE    GREAT   MORNING.  201 

The  messengers  were  angels.  4.  It  was  communicated  to 
them  on  an  early  visit  to  the  sepulchre.  5.  The  disciples 
also  saw  Christ,  but  not  till  afterwards.  6.  They  saw  him 
without  any  apparition  of  angels  or  spirits.  7.  The  females 
found  the  sepulchre  open.  8.  What  the  females  heard  and 
saw,  they  saw  and  heard  it  partly  in  the  sepulchre,  partly 
near  it.  9.  The  disciples  themselves  never  met  Christ  at 
the  sepulchre,  but  in  different  places.  Thus  far  they  posi- 
tively agree.  Other  facts,  stated  perhaps  by  one  Evangelist, 
and  merely  omitted  by  others,  are  not  even  seemingly  con- 
tradictory to  the  whole  of  the  event ;  and  those  which  seem  to 
oppugn  each  other  will  find  their  solution,  I  hope,  in  the 
exposition  now  to  be  given. 

About  the  reality  of  Christ's  death  there  prevailed  but 
one  profound  conviction  among  friends  and  foes.  The 
soldiers  think  it  quite  unnecessary  to  break  his  bones ;  Pilate 
receives  with  confidence  the  oflicial  report  of  the  centurion, 
that  the  Nazarene  was  dead,  and  immediately  gives  permission 
to  bury  him.  The  Jews  think  it  unworthy  of  their  effort  to 
prevent  his  burial,  and,  on  requesting  afterwards  a  guard, 
they  merely  suggest  that  he  might  be  stolen,  but  by  no  means 
that  he  might  revive.  Joseph,  Nicodemus  and  the  women, 
lay  the  corpse,  wrapped  in  thin  linen,  into  a  cold  sepulchre 
filled  with  one  hundred  pounds  of  spices,  all  of  which  was 
calculated,  not  to  revive  the  body  of  a  half-dead  person,  as 
some  have  shamelessly  asserted,  but  to  extinguish  it. 

After  three  o'clock  they  took  him  from  the  cross,  and 
between  four  and  five  they  must  have  been  through  the 
burial ;  and,  rolling  the  stone  before  the  sepulchre,  they  went 
their  way.  Then  the  great  Sabbath  commenced,  and  the 
High  Priest  had  just  time  enough  to  request  a  Roman  guanl 
from  the  governor  to  place  it  before  the  sepulchre,  and  to  seal 


202  THE   GREAT   MORNING. 

the  stone  with  his  seal.  Joseph,  Nicodemus  and  the  females, 
being  already  gone,  and  remaining  at  home  all  the  Sabbath, 
according  to  law,  did  neither  hear  nor  apprehend  anything  of 
this  last  measure  of  the  Jews ;  for  Joseph  lived  not  in  his 
garden,  but  in  the  city.  Much  less  could  the  other  disciples 
and  friends  of  Christ  receive  any  notice  of  it.  They  were 
scattered  through  the  city.  Some,  perhaps,  were  gone  to 
Bethany ;  the  gardener  of  Joseph  was  prevented  by  the  Sab- 
bath from  giving  them  any  intelligence;  and,  in  fact,  the 
doleful  story  was  ended,  their  last  hope  extinguished,  and  the 
last  spark  of  curiosity  or  inquiry  quenched. 

The  body,  however,  was  not  properly  buried,  but  only 
deposited.  It  was  yet  to  be  anointed,  placed  in  a  coffin,  and 
put  into  one  of  the  niches  in  Joseph's  sepulchre.  As  yet  it 
lay  upon  a  bier.  The  Sabbath  ended  too  late  in  the  evening 
to  render  it  expedient  for  anybody  to  visit  the  sepulchre,  and, 
indeed,  it  was  not  till  then  that  the  fact  that  Christ  had  been 
deposited  in  Joseph's  sepulchre  became  known  among  his 
friends.  But  early  the  next,  that  is,  Sunday  morning,  before 
daylight,  Mary  Magdalene  rises  up.  She  prepares  spices  and 
ointments.  According  to  Matthew  and  Mark,  Mary  the 
mother  of  James  and  Joses,  and  Salome,  join  her  in  this  work 
of  love.  They  knew  nothing  of  the  sixteen  Roman  soldiers 
before  the  grave ;  for  even  Joseph  could  not  have  heard  of  it 
till  Saturday  evening  after  the  sun  had  set.  Their  only 
anxiety,  therefore,  is,  "  Who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone 
from  the  door  of  the  sepulchre  ?  "  The  keeper  of  the  garden 
could  hardly  be  expected  to  do  it  alone,  and  laborers  were 
not  as  yet  about  the  way.  Yet  their  longing  desire  is  too 
great ;  they  proceed  through  the  dusky,  silent  region,  care- 
fully avoiding  the  great  road,  to  do  which  was  easy  enough, 


THE    GREAT   MORNING.  203 

if  Josephus'  account  (Jewish  War,  B.  v.  ch.  2)  of  the  gardens 
and  vineyards  about  Jerusalem  is  correct. 

While  these  pious  females  were  yet  on  their  way,  when 
the  morning  began  to  dawn,  the  great  hour  was  come.  Four 
soldiers  were  watching  before  the  sealed  stone,  the  others 
reclining  to  and  fro,  but  quite  at  hand,  and  slumbering,  when 
a  powerful  shock,  if  not  several,  waked  them  up.  The  rock 
shook,  and  every  object  about  them  seemed  to  move.  The 
.first  thought  which  must  necessarily  have  struck  these 
responsible  men  was,  Is  the  seal  of  the  sepulchre  destroyed  or 
injured? 

Their  eyes  turn,  as  it  were,  instinctively,  to  the  stone, 
and  behold,  a  being,  flashing  like  lightning,  stands  there, 
and,  as  with  a  magic  touch,  rolls  away  the  mighty  rock,  and 
sits  down  upon  it,  as  when  a  lion  coucheth  to  expect  with 
royal  ease  and  disdain  the  vain  assault  of  crawling  insects  ! 
The  moment  after  the  stone  was  rolled  away,  the  women 
appear  at  the  gate  of  the  garden,  or  farm.  But  either  the 
angel  had  not  yet  taken  his  place  upon  the  grave-stone,  or, 
what  is  more  probable,  the  eyes  of  the  women  :'  wrere  holden  " 
that  they  did  not  notice  him.  Confounded  and  afraid,  the 
soldiers  had  fled  into  some  corner  of  the  garden,  and  thus  the 
prospect  from  the  garden-gate  was  one  of  solitude  and  breath- 
less silence,  as  moments  after  a  shock  of  earthquake  are  apt 
to  be.  The  grave  was  open,  and  the  first  thought  which 
struck  Mary  Magdalene  was,  Alas  !  they  have  taken  him 
hence.  But  who  ?•  Joseph  ? — 0  no  !  why  should  he  ?  Alas, 
it  is  but  too  probable  that  the  Jews  have  come  to  carry  him 
away,  to  spend  upon  him  the  remainder  of  their  rage.  At 
all  events,  something  melancholy,  it  strikes  her,  has  happened. 
Overflowing  as  her  feelings  ever  were,  she  cannot  bear  her 
apprehension  alone ;  and,  leaving  the  two  other  women,  she 


204  THE   GREAT  MORNING. 

hastens  right  back  to  the  city,  to  apprize  Peter  and  John  of 
what  she  had  seen,  and  communicate  to  them  her  fears.  In 
the  mean  time  the  other  females  enter,  approach  the  grave, 
and  all  at  once  they  see  the  supernatural  being  sitting  upon 
the  stone.  Fear  takes  hold  of  them,  but  the  angel's  kind 
address  keeps  them  from  sinking  ;  "  Fear  not,  ye ;  for  I  know 
that  ye  seek  Jesus,  which  was  crucified.  He  is  not  here,  for 
he  is  risen,  as  he  said.  Come,  see  the  place  where  the  Lord 
lay,  and  go  quickly  and  tell  his  disciples  that  he  is  risen  from, 
the  dead  ;  and  behold,  he  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee,  there 
shall  ye  see  him,  lo,  I  have  told  you."  So  the  angel.  They, 
filled  with  awe  and  joy,  depart  and  run  to  bring  his  disciples 
word.  From  the  angel's  descent  to  this  point,  hardly  five 
minutes  could  have  elapsed.  During  this  time,  the  soldiers 
became  satisfied  that  there  was  a  more  than  human  arm  here 
displayed,  and  made  their  escape.  Their  interview  with  the 
High  Priests  will  receive  a  word  of  attention  on  some  future 
opportunity.  In  the  mean  time,  Mary  the  mother  of  James, 
and  Salome,  as  they  hasten  back  to  the  city,  meet  Jesus  unex- 
pectedly, and  probably  not  far  from  the  garden  of  Joseph. 
This  interview  took  place  after  that  which  Christ  had  with 
Mary  Magdalene  (compare  Mark  16  :  9)  ;  and,  to  make  this 
consistent,  you  may  suppose  that  these  two  elderly  women 
stopped  at  the  house  of  some  neighbor  to  recover  from  their 
excitement  of  mind,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  city ;  or,  they 
may  have  run  through  the  city  over  to  Bethany,  to  some 
disciples  there,  and  met  Christ  by  the  way.  As  soon  as  they 
see  him,  they  sink  down  at  his  feet.  But  he  addresses  them. 
"  Be  not  afraid,  go  tell  my  brethren  that  they  go  into  Gali- 
lee, and  there  shall  they  see  me."  Knowing,  probably,  or  at 
least  apprehending,  that  Mary  Magdalene  had  gone  to  Peter 
and  John,  and  that  these  two  must  now  needs  be  on  one  of 


THE   GREAT   MORNING.  205 

the  ways  leading  to  the  sepulchre,  and  not  at  home,  they 
naturally  direct  their  steps  towards  the  dwellings  of  some 
other  disciples,  or  to  Bethany,  as  I  suggested ;  and  this  makes 
it  so  much  the  easier  to  see  why  they  did  not  meet  Peter  and 
John.  But,  whatsoever  road  they  took,  it  was  a  by-path,  and 
to  miss  each  other  was  very  easy. 

The  three  pious  females  whom  we  have  now  accompanied 
were  not  the  only  ones  who  intended  to  share  in  the  privilege 
of  anointing  the  Lord's  body.  Probably  soon  after  them 
another  company  of  pious  women  set  out  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. This  supposition,  which  clears  away  all  the  difficulties 
discoverable  under  this  head  in  the  first  three  Evangelists,  is 
in  itself  more  than  probable.  There  were  present  at  Jerusa- 
lem many  disciples  and  friends  of  Christ.  Near  to  his  cross 
stood  Mary  his  mother,  her  sister  Mary,  the  mother  of  James, 
Mary  Magdalene,  and  John.  (John  19 :  25,  26.)  Further 
off  (where,  at  first,  these  most  intimate  friends  of  Christ  had 
also  taken  their  station,  till  their  affection  for  the  beloved  suf- 
ferer drew  them  nearer),  were  keeping  their  more  timid  place 
"  many  other  women "  (Mark  15:  41),  even  "  all  his 
acquaintances."  (Luke  23  :  49.)  To  these  "  other  women" 
Luke  seems  to  refer  (24  :  10),  when  speaking  of  the  visits 
at  the  sepulchre.  At  the  temporary  interment  of  Christ  on 
Friday  evening,  we  find  again  not  only  Mary  Magdalene  and 
the  other  Mary,  but  also  "women"  "from  Galilee"  (Luke 
23  :  55),  whom  this  Evangelist  seems  to  distinguish,  himself, 
from  those  (compare  ch.  24  :  10).  Of  all  these  friends  pres- 
ent and  deeply  interested,  were  the  three  women  mentioned 
by  Matthew  and  Mark  the  only  ones  who  craved  the  privilege 
of  being  active  in  the  honorable  interment  of  their  common 
Lord  and  Master  ?  I  ween  not.  Rather  should  I  suppose 
that  more  than  two  companies  of  females  would  have  joined 

! 


206  THE   GREAT  MORNING. 

them,  had  the  body  of  Jesus  been  really  anointed.  Some  of 
these  pious  women  were  rich.  Joanna  was  among  them,  the 
wife  of  Chusa,  who  was  Herod's  steward;  and  probably 
Susanna  was  wealthy,  and  several  others.  They  too  (and 
what  was  more  natural  than  that  ?)  had  their  anxieties,  by  the 
way,  who  slibuld  remove  for  them  the  heavy  stone  from  the 
mouth  of  the  sepulchre.  At  the  sepulchre  they  had  expected 
to  meet  their  three  friends.  But  these  had  already  fled,  and 
so  had  the  soldiers ;  and  the  angel  on  the  tombstone  had  dis- 
appeared. The  sepulchre  is  open;  they  enter  in.  The 
darkness  of  the  cave  at  this  early  season  did  not  permit  them 
at  first  to  distinguish  whether  Christ's  body  was  there  or  not. 
But  soon  they  are  aware,  to  their  astonishment,  that  the 
sepulchre  is  empty ;  and,  behold  !  suddenly  two  angels  appear, 
standing  by  them  (Luke  24 :  4).  As  the  one  angel  acted 
who  was  sitting  outside  of  the  sepulchre  upon  the  stone,  when 
the  other  women  came,  so  do  these  now.  They  comfort  the 
pious  females,  commend  their  object,  correct  their  mistake, 
and  give  them  a  message  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  to  carry  to  the  disciple.  But  let  us  mark  a  little  here 
the  difference  and  the  agreement  of  the  Evangelists.  Matthew 
and  Mark  unitedly  tell  us  that  the  two  Marys  and  Salome 
went  out  to  the  sepulchre,  saw  one  angel  outside  of  the 
sepulchre,  sitting  upon  the  great  stone  by  which  it  had  been 
closed.  Mark  mentions  their  entering  the  garden  (from  the 
gate  of  which  they  had  perceived  the  grave  to  be  open) 
towards  the  sepulchre,  where,  situated  as  it  was  on  their 
right  hand  as  they  entered,  they  behold  the  same  one  angel 
sitting.  (Mark  16  :  4,  5,  Greek  text.)  Luke,  on  the  other 
hand,  speaks  of  a  company  of  women  who  found  no  angel  on 
the  stone ;  who  did  enter  the  sepulchre,  and  who  saw  two 
angels  standing  by  them.     The  words  of  the  one  angel 


TIIE    GREAT   MORNING.  20T 

mentioned  by  Matthew  and  Mark  agree  substantially,  and  are 
plainly  one  and  the  same  message  ;  those  spoken  by  the  two 
angels  are  sufficiently  different  from  these  to  form  another 
message  on  the  same  great  subject,  given  to  other  women,  as 
they  were  given  by  other  angels,  and  in  another  place  and 
posture.  Mary  Magdalene,  who  had  seen  from  the  garden- 
gate  the  stone  removed,  when,  a  little  later,  she  came  the 
second  time  with  Peter  and  John,  and  when  these  two  were 
gone  again,  saw  the  same  two  angels  mentioned  by  Luke  now 
sitting  within  the  sepulchre,  where  they  had  been  seen 
standing  by  the  second  company  of  women.  Thus  far  all 
is  consistent.  Equally  so  is  the  result  of  these  visits,  if 
rightly  viewed.  According  to  Matthew,  "  they  departed 
quickly  from  the  sepulchre  with  fear  and  great  joy,  and  did 
run  to  bring  the  disciples  word."  (28  :  8.)  Mark  says 
"  They  went  out  quickly,  and  fled  from  the  sepulchre  ;  for 
they  trembled  and  were  amazed :  neither  said  they  anything 
to  any  man;  for  they  were  afraid."  (16:  8.)  Luke  not 
only  says  of  the  women,  in  his  account,  that  "they  told  all 
these  things  unto  the  eleven,  and  to  all  the  rest,"  but  men- 
tions in  particular  Mary  Magdalene,  Joanna,  Mary  the  mother 
of  James,  and  other  women  with  them,  as  the  bearers  of 
the  happy  tidings  (24:  9,  10).  John  speaks  throughout  of 
Mary  Magdalene  alone.  But  there  is  no  real  disagreement 
in  all  this.  The  natural  solution  of  the  whole  is  this,  namely  : 
The  two  Marys  and  Salome,  and  perhaps  Joanna,  were  the 
most  prominent  characters  among  those  women  who  wTent  out 
to  the  sepulchre,  and  they  intended  naturally  to  take  the  lead 
in  the  work  of  anointing  the  body  of  Christ.  Of  these,  the 
first  three  went  out  before  the  rest,  very  early,  and  two  of 
them  received  the  first  message  of  the  resurrection  from  the 
angel  on  the  tomb-stone,  and  one  had  the  first  interview  with 


208  THE   GREAT   MORNING. 

Christ.  Of  these  Matthew,  Mark  and  John,  speak  each 
from  that  point  of  view  which  suited  best  the  plan  of  his 
Gospel.  Luke,  implying  that  they  were  not  the  only  ones 
who  visited  the  sepulchre,  speaks  of  "women"  "from  Gali- 
lee." **  They,"  says  he,  "  and  certain  others  with  them," — 
therefore  certainly  more  than  three, —  came  "  very  early  in 
the  morning  "  "  unto  the  sepulchre."  (24  :  1.)  They  found 
the  stone  rolled  away,  no  angel  upon  it ;  and  they  entered  the 
sepulchre,  and  had  a  vision  of  two  angels.  He  has  especially 
the  other  company  of  women  in  view,  making  that  prominent 
which  they  saw  and  heard ;  not  excluding,  however,  from  his 
collective  narrative,  the  party  mentioned  by  the  other  two 
Evangelists,  whose  omissions  in  the  history  of  the  resurrection 
he  wishes  to  supply.  When  the  facts  as  they  occurred  sev- 
erally at  the  sepulchre  were  stated,  and  the  three  Evangelists 
come  to  the  effect  and  the  results  of  these  facts,  they  all  three 
realize  that  two  different  companies  of  females  resorted  to  the 
grave ;  and  they  state  the  result,  not  with  reference  to  all  of 
them,  but  only  to  those  whom  each  Evangelist  had  in  view 
when  he  arrived  at  that  point  of  the  narrative.  Matthew 
speaks  particularly  of  Mary  the  mother  of  James,  and 
Salome,  not  excluding  Mary  Magdalene,  when  he  says  that 
they  ran  to  bring  the  disciples  word.  Those  women  who  said 
nothing  to  any  one  he  leaves  out  of  the  account,  as  he  is 
now  hastening  to  the  close  of  his  Gospel.  Mark,  supplying 
the  lack  of  Matthew,  states  that  some  of  the  women  were  so 
overwhelmed  with  what  they  saw  and  heard,  that  they  said 
nothing  to  anybody  (16  :  8).  Then  he  proceeds  with  a  brief 
allusion  to  Mary  Magdalene's  second  visit  at  the  sepulchre, 
and  her  interview  with  the  Lord  (of  which  John  supplies  the 
particulars),  and  to  the  two  travellers  to  Emmaus,  of  whom 
Luke  speaks  more  fully.     Luke  speaks  also  of  the  bearers  of 


THE   GREAT  MORNING.  209 

the  joyful  news,  mentioning  as  such  two  of  the  first  company 
of  women,  and  one  of  the  second,  "  and  other  women," 
among  whom,  doubtless,  was  Salome ;  then  proceeds  to  a  full 
statement  of  what  happened  between  Jerusalem  and  Emmaus. 
In  the  same  manner,  speaking  of  the  effect  which  these  mes- 
sages produced  upon  the  minds  of  the  apostles,  the  Evan- 
gelists take  different  views,  without  contradicting  one  another. 
Matthew  makes  no  allusion  to  it,  for  want  of  time.  Mark, 
occupied  at  first  with  the  fear  of  the  women,  which  did  not 
permit  them  to  obey  the  divine  command,  proceeds  to  state 
the  unbelief  of  some  of  the  apostles.  (16  :  11 ;  and  again  14.) 
Luke,  intending  to  give  a  full  view  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  apostles  received  the  different  accounts  of  the  resurrection 
of  Christ,  and  of  the  means  by  which  they  were  ultimately 
fully  convinced  that  Christ  was  risen,  mentions  their  unbelief 
in  the  first  accounts  they  heard  of  it  (24  :  11) ;  Peter's 
hesitancy  in  realizing  the  great  fact  (v.  12) ;  how,  in  the 
course  of  the  day,  conviction  was  fastened  upon  Cleophas  and 
his  companion,  and  how  all  the  apostles,  save  Thomas,  were 
brought  to  the  same  full  assurance  of  faith  during  the  eve- 
ning. John's  particular  accounts  are  perfectly  consistent 
with  all  this,  and  with  themselves.  Upon  these  principles  of 
narration,  many  accounts,  if  not  most,  of  the  first  three 
Evangelists,  are  framed,  and  thousands  of  the  most  trustworthy 
narratives  are  going  about  the  world,  bearing  exactly  the  same 
character. 

The  message  which  the  angels  gave  to  the  women  in  two 
repeated  instances  seems  at  first  inconsistent  with  fact. 
They  send  word  to  the  disciples  that  Christ  would  see  them 
in  Galilee,  whither  they  are  ordered  to  proceed.  But  Christ 
appeared  to  the  eleven,  and  to  some  others,  sundry  times,  at 
Jerusalem,  during  the  course  of  the  very  week  alraady  com- 
18* 


210  THE   GREAT  MORNING. 

menced.  Even  this  very  day  he  appeared  to  Peter  and  to 
the  two  disciples  that  went  to  Emmaus ;  and  in  the  evening  all 
the  apostles  saw  him,  except  Thomas.  A  great  handle  has 
been  made  of  this  circumstance ;  but  the  solution  is  equally 
easy  and  satisfactory.  Matt.  26 :  32,  and  Mark  16 :  7, 
Christ  predicts  his  own  death  and  resurrection,  and  adds 
that,  after  his  resurrection,  he  will  appear  to  his  disciples  in 
Galilee.  This  was  a  general  hint  to  the  disciples,  and  all  his 
followers  and  brethren,  to  proceed  to  Galilee  after  his  death  ; 
and  certainly  Galilee  was  a  more  safe  and  convenient  place 
than  Jerusalem  for  religious  interviews,  or  meetings,  where  so 
many  were  to  be  present.  Of  this  hint  they,  as  a  body,  are 
now  reminded.  Why  they  did  not  all  at  once  remove  to 
Galilee,  may  have  been  owing  to  some  private  specification  of 
time  given  by  Christ  previously,  but  not  recorded ;  or,  more 
probably,  to  the  fact  that  Christ  appeared  unto  them  at  Jeru- 
salem the  very  evening  after  his  resurrection,  and  afterwards 
again ;  on  which  account  they  waited  until  he  should  give 
them  to  know  that  it  was  now  time  to  proceed  to  Galilee  to 
the  more  general  and  long-promised  meeting,  where  proba- 
bly the  five  hundred  brethren  of  whom  Paul  speaks  were 
present.  Meantime,  the  Passover-week  was  also  closed,  and 
the  solemnities  ended  according  to  the  law.  And  it  is  easy  to 
see  the  propriety  of  their  conduct  in  this  respect.  The 
appearance  of  Christ  at  Jerusalem,  and  to  the  two  disciples 
on  their  way  to  Emmaus,  was  merely  intended  to  settle  them 
in  the  conviction  that  he  was  alive  again  ;  and  what  was  more 
necessary  than  this,  if  they  were  really  to  travel  to  Galilee 
to  the  mountain  specified,  to  meet  Christ  there  ?  These  pre- 
paratory manifestations  were  never  intended,  therefore,  to  be 
announced  to  the  disciples  previously.  The  angels  have  no 
charge  to»speak  of  these  sudden  interviews,  and  Christ,  as  we 


THE   GREAT  MORNING.  211 

shall  see  from  his  words  to  Mary  Magdalene,  is  purposely 
silent  on  this  subject ;  purposely,  I  say,  because  he  must  have 
known,  surely,  what  he  was  going  to  do ;  and  yet  he  says  not 
a  word  about  it.     Thus  these  fabricated  difficulties  all  vanish. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  this  latter  company  of  females 
had  no  interview  with  Christ  himself;  and  it  is  to  these  that 
the  two  disciples  walking  to  Emmaus  had  reference  in  Luke 
24 :  22,  23. 

Now,  Peter,  John  and  Mary  Magdalene,,  return.  It  is 
now  fairly  day,  and  the  sun  about  to  rise.  They  come  some- 
what late,  probably  because  Peter  and  John  lived  in  different 
parts  of  the  city,  and  then  they  needed  to  get  up,  and  dress, 
it  being  early  yet ;  and  it  was  almost  unavoidable  that  they 
should  propose  many  questions  to  the  affrighted  sister,  and 
wish  to  hear  her  accounts  fully,  before  they  could  resolve 
upon  a  visit  to  the  grave  at  this  season.  •  At  last  they  set 
out,  and  that  they  continued  asking  many  an  anxious  and 
unbelieving  question  more,  as  they  passed  along,  you  may 
easily  imagine.  They  feel,  however,  more  and  more  inter- 
ested ;  and,  as  they  approach  the  garden,  the  younger  disciple 
— that  is,  John — runs  ahead.  He  stoops  down  and  looks  into 
the  sepulchre ;  there  are  the  linen  clothes,  but  the  body  of 
Christ  is  really  gone.  Thus  much  is,  however,  clear  now,  the 
body  is  not  stolen ;  for,  had  it  been  stolen,  the  costly  linen 
would  not  have  been  carefully  taken  off  the  body,  and  left 
behind  in  the  grave.  Peter  and  Mary  soon  follow  John. 
Now  they  all  enter.  There  are  the  linen  clothes,  and  the 
napkin,  wrapped  up,  lies  separately.  All  indicates  care  and 
order,  and  the  heart  of  Mary  is,  at  least,  so  far  consoled,  that 
it  is  now  probable  the  body  of  the  beloved  Master  is  still  in 
the  hands  of  friends.  John  marks  all  the  particulars  well, 
and  believes  (John  20  :  8),  that  is,  gathers  for  himself  the 


212  THE   GREAT  MORNING. 

conviction j  that  Jesus  is  taken  away.  "  For  as  yet,"  he  says 
himself,  "  they  knew  not  the  Scripture,  that  he  must  rise 
again  from  the  dead."  Satisfied,  as  they  think,  that  there  is 
nothing  more  to  be  done  here,  the  two  disciples  return  to  the 
city,  planning,  perhaps,  among  themselves,  to  go  as  soon  as 
possible  to  Joseph,  and  ask  him  what  had  become  of  the  body, 
etc. 

Poor  human  speculation  is  a  miserable  guide  to  piety  and 
in  piety.  Here  let  the  heart  speak  !  There  listen  and  fol- 
low, and  do  not  grieve  it  to  silence  with  cold  reasoning.  Poor 
Peter,  and  poor  John !  back  they  went,  and  many  a  wise 
remark  may  have  been  made  by  them,  as  they  walked,  to 
explain  to  each  other  the  probable  singular  occurrence  of  this 
morning.  Mary's  burning  love  to  Christ  will  not  let  her 
depart.  Here  they  deposited  him,  and  here  she  saw  him  on 
that  melancholy  evening ;  and  here  she  seeks  him,  and  cannot 
get  away.  To  go  back  !  —  why,  a  king's  palace  would  have 
been  a  wilderness  to  her.  0  !  the  grave  was  empty,  and  the 
world  was  empty.  Whom  had  she  in  heaven  but  him,  and 
there  was  none  upon  earth  whom  she  desired  besides  him. 
There  she  stands,  the  lovely  sister,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
empty  cave.  Seven  demons  had  possessed  her  not  long 
since,  and  Jesus'  powerful  hand  had  freed  her,  poor  sinner ! 
and  ever*  since  she  had  enjoyed  the  foretaste  of  heaven  in 
communion  with  him,  and  he  had  poured  a  thousand  blessings 
on  her  soul.  And  now  his  enemies  have  murdered  him,  and 
even  his  friends  carry  his  body  about,  and  she  knows  not 
where  he  is,  and  is  not  permitted  to  do  him  the  last  melan- 
choly service  of  love.  It  is  too  hard,  it  is  too  hard  to  bear ; 
it  seems  to  rend  her  soul  from  her.  She  stands,  and  thinks, 
and  knows  not  where  to  go  nor  what  to  do  ;  and  the  two  dis- 
ciples are  hardly  through  the  gate,  when  she  wraps  her  face 


THE    GREAT  MORNING.  213 

in  her  garment,  and  a  stream  of  tears  rolls  freely  down  her 
cheeks.  Weep,  dear  child  of  God  !  To  weep  for  Christ  is 
sweet.  Blessed  are  they  that  weep  thus  :  they  shall  be  com- 
forted. Yea,  they  are  already  comforted ;  for  one  tear  wept 
for  Trim  is  worth  a  thousand  worlds.  "  0,  that  my  head  were 
waters,  and  mine  eyes  fountains  of  tears,  that  I  might  weep 
day  and  night"  for  him  who  is  M  the  chief  among  ten  thou- 
sand, and  the  one  altogether  lovely."  There  is  none  like 
unto  him.  Take  him  away,  and  I  must  curse  my  existence. 
If  he  is  a  phantom,  if  he  is  not,  then  "let  the  day  perish 
wherein  I  was  born." 

How  long  she  wept,  who  can  tell  ?  She  stoops  down  and 
looks  into  the  empty  grave, —  most  unjustifiable  before  the 
bar  of  reason,  certainly,  but  most  consonant  to  her  feel- 
ings: to  seek  where  there  was  nothing,  apparently, —  to  seek, 
and  to  hope  against  hope.  And,  lo  !  there  are  two  men 
sitting  in  the  grave.  Her  eyes,  dim  with  weeping,  did  not 
permit  her  to  distinguish,  nor  her  state  of  mind  to  reflect  ; 
and  she  takes  them  for  attendants  of  Joseph,  who  may  have 
entered,  she  thinks,  while  she  was  weeping.  "  Woman,  why 
weepest  thou?  "  says  one.  "  Because  they  have  taken  away 
my  Lord,  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  lain  him." 
So  she.  But  hark !  something,  some  steps,  perhaps,  sound 
behind  her,  and  she  turns  back  to  see  who  comes.  It  is  a 
man.  She  knows  him  not.  But  who  should  come  here  so 
early,  she  thinks  again ;  he  must  be  the  gardener  of  Joseph, 
whose  attendants  she  had  just  noticed  in  the  grave.  "Wo- 
man, why  weepest  thou?  whom  seekest  thou?"  he  asks 
sweetly,  and  full  of  sympathy.  "  Sir,"  she  replies,  encour- 
aged, "  if  thou  hast  borne  him  hence,  tell  me  where  thou  hast 
lain  him,  and  I  will  take  him  away."  The  pure  language  of 
affection,- —  affection  so  strong  as  to  exclude  for  the  moment 


214  THE   GREAT  MORNING. 

every  maturer  thought  and  reflection.  "Why,  Mary,"  he 
might  have  said,  "  what  dost  thou  want  to  do  with  the  body 
of  thy  deceased  friend  ?  His  soul  has  fled,  his  mortal  eyes 
and  his  sweet  voice  speak  no  more  comfort  to  poor  distressed 
souls.  Till  thou  arrive  in  heaven,  thou  canst  enjoy  his  society 
no  more.  His  body  of  clay  must  moulder  away.  And  why 
wilt  thou  not  leave  him  '  earth  to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes,  dust 
to  dust  V"  And  what  could  she  have  replied  ?  —  Nothing. 
But  our  Lord  understands  and  appreciates  wrell  the  language 
of  the  heart.  The  moment  wras  come.  "Mary! "  he  says, 
and  the  harmony  of  heaven  thrills  in  his  voice.  "  Mary  !  " 
Amazed,  she  looks  at  him.  Is  it  he  ?  It  is  he  !  and  alive  ! 
The  transition  is  too  rapid  ;  the  joy  too  great :  —  "  Rabboni ! 
Master  !  "  and  she  lies  at  his  feet.  0,  heaven  on  earth  !  what 
is  like  unto  that  moment,  when  the  first  "  Rabboni  "  bursts 
from  our  hearts  and  lips  1  Now,  0  now,  it  is  worth  while  to 
live.  Now  let  me  live  forever !  for  Jesus  lives,  and  is  my 
friend.     And 

"  When  he  is  mine,  and  I  am  his, 
What  can  I  want  beside  ?  " 

Now  "  truly  the  light  is  sweet,  and  it  is  a  pleasant  thing  for 
the  eyes  to  behold  the  sun."  Now  there  is  meaning  in  my 
existence.  I  am  a  man,  I  am  a  man  now ;  while  before  I  was 
a  poor  brute,  a  silly,  wandering  sheep.  It  is  done ;  the  great 
problem  of  my  existence  is  solved ;  the  poor  heart  is  satisfied 
at  last,  and  eternity  shines  brighter  than  the  firmament  of 
heaven. 

Jesus,  ever  the  same,  ever  divine,  replies,  with  heavenly 
calmness,  "Touch  me  not,"  Mary.  This  is  no  time  for 
embracing  my  knees,  for  kissing  my  hands,  for  watering  my 
feet  with  thy  tears.     We  shall  meet  again.     "  For  I  am  not 


THE    GREAT  MORNING.  215 

yet  ascended  to  my  Father.  But  go  to  my  brethren,  and  say 
unto  them,  I  ascend  unto  my  Father  and  to  your  Father, 
and  to  my  God  and  to  your  God." 

Here  closes  the  history  of  this  morning, —  a  morning  of 
unutterable  interest  to  our  world  and  to  our  souls,  and  one 
never  to  be  repeated.  Yet,  while  all  these  events  transpire, 
an  iron  slumber  rests  upon  yonder  Jerusalem.  There  the 
priests  and  Levites,  lifeless  hirelings,  sleep,  jaded  with  the 
tiresome  exercises  of  the  sanctuary,  with  which  they  would 
gladly  have  dispensed,  had  they  known  how  to  get  money 
without  them.  There  is  slumbering  the  thoughtless  multi- 
tude, well  satisfied  with  the  round  of  external  performances, 
and  the  sacrifices  of  bulls  and  goats.  There  you  find  Pilate, 
and  Herod,  and  many  a  Dives,  rolling,  half  sleeping,  half 
awake,  upon  his  uneasy  couch,  writhing  under  the  conse- 
quences of  a  wild  nightly  banquet.  And  if  any  one  is  fairly 
awake,  it  is  the  miser  worshipping  upon  the  knees  of  his  heart 
his  accursed  mammon.  A  picture  of  the  world,  drawn  to 
the  very  life.  While  Christ  rises  as  the  almighty  friend  and 
Saviour  of  sinners,  before  those  "  who  seek  him  early,"  the 
world  give  themselves  no  concern.  "  Yet  a  little  sleep,  a 
little  slumber,  a  little  folding  of  hands.  So  shall  thy  poverty 
come  as  one  that  travelleth,  and  thy  want  as  an  armed  man." 
Prov.  6 :  10.  "  Sleep  on  now,  thoughtless,  careless  souls, 
and  take  your  rest,"  but  know  that  the  sword  of  divine  jus- 
tice hangs  menacing  over  your  defenceless  heads.  There  is 
one  among  the  nights  to  come,  and  you  know  it  not,  when  in 
the  solitary  midnight  hour  the  knell  of  your  dying  bell  shall 
wake  you  up  from  the  slumber  of  sin.  Affrighted,  you  will 
look  about,  and,  behold,  your  sands  are  run  out,  and  the  icy, 
merciless  hand  of  death  has  hold  upon  your  heart-string,  to 
tear  it  asunder  as  a  spider's  thread,  and  to  cast  your  unpre- 


216  THE   GREAT  MORNING. 

pared,  distracted  soul,  into  the  unexplored  abyss  of  eternity  ! 
0  !  what  a  moment  that  will  be !  Forever  gone  by  is  now 
the  slighted  day  of  mercy,  the  time  of  repentance  and  faith, 
whose  merciful  and  glorious  purpose,  whose  all-absorbing 
importance,  you  will  then  perceive  with  horror,  and  with  the 
outbursting  lamentation,  "  Woe  is  unto  me ;  for  the  harvest  is 
past,  the  summer  ended,  and  I  am  not  saved." 

But  let  us  close  with  the  lovely  part  of  our  picture.  There 
are  many  mourning  souls  and  weeping  Marys  in  Zion,  and 
unto  them  I  could  wish  to  open  the  whole  treasury  of  heavenly 
consolation,  if  I  was  able.  But,  if  I  am  not  able  to  do  it,  the 
solemn  history  of  this  morning  shows  them  who  is  able,  and 
how  to  get  access  to  him. 

Nothing  is  so  wonderful  as  the  first  waking  up  to  a  spir- 
itual life;  nothing  so  delightful  as  the  first  love,  the  first 
grateful  emotion,  of  the  sinner  who  has  "obtained  mercy" 
and  pardon.  There  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  man,  and 
heaven  is  begun  on  earth.  The  fountain  of  life  is  open,  and 
springs  high  before  the  withering,  languishing  soul ;  and  she 
drinks  in  energy  and  life  and  joy  divine;  her  "peace"  is 
"like  a  river,"  and  her  "righteousness  as  the  waves  of  the 
sea."  The  dew  of  heaven  descends  gently  and  refreshing, 
and  the  early  rain  and  the  latter  rain  fail  not ;  eternal  com- 
fort and  prosperity  have  commenced.  To  sit  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus,  to  live  under  the  smiles  of  his  countenance,  and  to 
breathe  the  atmosphere  of  heaven, — what  more  can  be  wanting 
to  perfect  earthly  bliss  1  We,  then,  wish  and  pray  that  this 
happy  state  may  last  forever  ;  we  fondly  hope  it  will ;  and,  if 
we  were  faithful  and  kept  humble,  it  would.  But  the  heart 
of  man  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked, 
and  its  thorough  cure  is  not  the  work  of  a  day.  Unfaithful- 
ness,  a  false  trust  in  means,   self-complacency,   and  many 


THE   GREAT   MORNING.  217 

other  secret  besetting  sins,  must  be  purged  away  by  dark- 
ness and  distress  of  mind,  and  many  a  trial.  And,  0  !  this 
is  a  bitter  lesson  to  him  who  has  tasted  how  good  and  how 
precious  the  Lord  is.  Now  he  is  ready  to  endure  anything, 
if  Christ  will  not  withdraw  from  him  his  love  and  the  hope 
of  salvation.  No  more  to  be  permitted  to  say,  "  My  beloved 
is  mine  and  I  am  his,"  is  harder  to  bear  than  the  curse  and 
contempt  of  all  this  world.  "  0  that  I  were  as  in  months 
past,  as  in  the  days  when  God  preserved  me ;  when  his 
candle  shined  upon  my  head,  and  when  by  his  light  I  walked 
through  darkness ;  as  I  was  in  the  days  of  my  youth,  when 
the  secret  of  God  was  upon  my  tabernacle ;  when  I  washed 
my  steps  with  butter,  and  the  rock  poured  me  out  rivers  of 
oil ! "  These  are  days  of  weeping  and  lamentation,  and 
nights  of  wakefulness  and  distress;  and  no  man  can  help 
us,  and  our  desolate  heart  seems  to  be  armed  with  steel  and 
adamant  against  every  drop  of  comfort.  Is  there  no  balm  in 
Gilead  ?  is  there  no  physician  there  ?  Then  Christ  is  dead 
and  buried  to  us,  and  we  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him, 
and  we  seek  him  whom  our  soul  loveth,  but  we  find  him  not. 
Well,  my  suffering  brother  or  sister,  mourn  and  weep;  it  will 
do  you  good.  To  weep  for  Christ  is  sweet.  But,  I  beseech 
you,  do  not  despair.  Your  Saviour  is  not  dead,  but  liveth ; 
go  and  seek  him  !  If  the  bustle  of  the  busy  world,  and  the 
multitude  of  duties,  will  not  permit  you  to  seek  him  by  day  or 
in  the  evening,  then  seek  him  in  the  night  season,  like  the 
Shulamite,  or  rise  up  early  in  the  morning,  like  Mary,  when 
it  begins  to  dawn,  when  all  is  stillness  about  you.  Prepare 
the  ointment  of  a  grateful  remembrance  of  his  dying  love  to 
you ;  seek  his  silent  grave.  There  weep  ;  it  is  a  good  place ; 
there  pour  out  your  soul.  He  will  hear  every  sob  of  your 
bosom,  and  notice  every  solitary,  unheeded  tear  of  distress. 
19 


218  THE   GREAT  MORNING. 

Soon  the  dear  Kabboni  will  whisper  behind  you,  with  the 
voice  of  unutterable  love,  "Mary!"  —  here  I  am,  my 
sister,  my  love,  my  dove,  my  undefiled ;  thou  art  mine,  and 
none  shall  pluck  thee  out  of  my  hand.  And  you,  leaning 
again  upon  your  beloved,  as  in  days  past,  will  exclaim,  as 
you  did  then,  "Lord,  it  is  enough,  for  thou  art  mine!" 
Amen. 


X  I. 


THE  WALK  TO  EMMAUS. 

And,  behold,  two  of  them  went  that  same  day  to  a  village  called 
Emmaus,  which  was  from  Jerusalem  about  three-score  furlongs.  And  they 
talked  together  of  all  these  things  which  had  happened.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  that  while  they  communed  together,  and  reasoned,  Jesus  himself 
drew  near,  and  went  with  them.  But  their  eyes  were  holden,  that  they 
should  not  know  him.  And  he  said  unto  them,  What  manner  of  communi 
cations  are  these  that  ye  have  one  to  another,  as  ye  walk,  and  are  sad  ? 
And  the  one  of  them,  whose  name  was  Cleopas,  answering,  said  unto  him, 
Art  thou  only  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem,  and  hast  not  known  the  things 
which  are  come  to  pass  there  in  these  days  ?  And  he  said  unto  them,  What 
things  ?  And  they  said  unto  him,  Concerning  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which 
was  a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and  word  before  God  and  all  the  people  ; 
and  how  the  Chief  Priests  and  our  rulers  delivered  him  to  be  condemned 
to  death,  and  have  crucified  him.  But  we  trusted  that  it  had  been  he 
which  should  have  redeemed  Israel ;  and,  besides  all  this,  to-day  is  the 
third  day  since  these  things  were  done.  Yea,  and  certain  women  also  of 
our  company  made  us  astonished,  which  were  early  at  the  sepulchre  ;  and 
when  they  found  not  his  body,  they  came,  saying,  That  they  had  also  seen 
a  vision  of  angels,  which  said  that  he  was  alive.  And  certain  of  them  which 
were  with  us  went  to  the  sepulchre,  and  found  it  even  so  as  the  women  had 
said  ;  but  him  they  saw  not.  Then  he  said  unto  them,  0  fools,  and  slow 
of  heart  to  believe  all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken  !  Ought  not  Christ 
to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  to  enter  into  his  glory  ?  And  beginning 
at  Moses,  and  all  the  prophets,  he  expounded  unto  them  in  all  the  Scrip- 
tures the  things  concerning  himself.  And  they  drew  nigh  unto  the  village 
whither  they  went  ;  and  he  made  as  though  he  would  have  gone  further. 
But  they  constrained  him,  saying,  Abide  with  us,  for  it  is  towards  evening, 
and  the  day  is  far  spent.     And  ho  went  in  to  tarry  with  them.     And  it 


220  THE  WALK  TO    EMMAUS. 

came  to  pass,  as  he  sat  at  meat  with  them,  he  took  bread,  and  blessed  it, 
and  brake,  and  gave  to  them.  And  their  eyes  were  opened,  and  they 
knew  him,  and  he  vanished  out  of  their  sight.  And  they  said  one  to 
another,  Did  not  our  heart  burn  within  us,  while  he  talked  with  us  by  the 
way,  and  while  he  opened  to  us  the  Scriptures  ?  And  they  rose  up  the 
same  hour,  and  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  found  the  eleven  gathered 
together,  and  them  that  were  with  them,  saying,  The  Lord  is  risen  indeed, 
and  hath  appeared  unto  Simon.  And  they  told  what  things  were  done  in 
the  way,  and  how  he  was  known  of  them  in  breaking  of  bread.  —  Luke 
24:  13—35. 

Jerusalem  was  yet  buried  in  deep  sleep,  and  its  dwell- 
ings, streets  and  markets,  were  silent  as  the  grave.  Caiaphas 
is  indulging  his  morning  slumbers  beneath  the  silk  curtains  of 
his  damask  couch.  The  Nazarene  is  buried  in  the  cold  tomb, 
and  the  soldiers  of  Pilate  and  the  broad  seal  of  his  holiness 
guard  the  sepulchre.  Sweet  dreams  of  the  future  prosperity 
of  that  lucrative  hierarchy  whose  head  he  is, —  a  hierarchy 
growing  and  expanding  in  his  imagination,  until  the  arrival 
of  that  warlike  Messiah  who  is  to  raise  for  every  circumcised 
rebel  and  wretch  a  golden  throne  of  infernal  selfishness  upon 
the  blood  and  the  ruins  of  a  poor,  perishing  world, —  sweet 
dreams,  in  point  of  moral  character  not  a  whit  above  the 
feigned  imaginations  of  Satan  in  Milton's  "Paradise  Lost," 
occupy  and  refresh  the  mind  and  heart  of  Caiaphas,  when  the 
heavy  knocker  of  his  palace  gate  is  touched  with  a  hasty  and 
powerful  hand.  He  starts  up.  What  is  the  matter  1  Per- 
haps one  of  the  failings  of  my  flock  is  near  death,  and  wants 
to  purchase,  for  his  last  hour,  the  precious  consolations  of 
Sinai's  law.  For,  surely,  a  lean  and  poor  sheep  ought  to  be 
happy  to  go  to  eternity  under  the  cheaper  prayers  of  a  simple 
Levite.  He  listens,  reclining  upon  one  arm,  one  foot  already 
out  of  his  bed,  when  his  chamberlain  approaches  his  bed- 
chamber with  steps  long  and  quick,  and  before  the  door  gives 


THE  WALK  TO   EMMAUS.  221 

the  usual  sign  for  being  admitted.  He  is  called  in,  and  inter- 
rogated. "  The  soldiers  from  the  sepulchre  of  the  Nazarene 
are  below,  and  wish  to  see  your  holiness  on  important  and 
pressing  business."  "  The  soldiers  from  the  sepulchre  ? —  Not 
possible!"  —  "With  your  leave,  sir,  the  very  ones."  One 
minute,  and  the  High  Priest  is  in  his  dress.  "Lead  them 
into  the  private  council-chamber  below,  and  call  the  whole 
Sanhedrim  together  quickly."  The  Sanhedrim  assembled, 
the  Roman  officer  at  the  head  of  the  guard  is  called  in  and 
relates  some  of  the  facts  to  which  we  attended  in  our  last 
Meditation,  and  the  seventy  wise  men  of  Israel  are  again 
at  their  wits'  end, —  at  their  wits'  end,  but  not  at  the  end  of 
their  wickedness.  Is  he  indeed  risen?  No  matter.  One 
lie  more,  and  why  not  one  thousand  ?  —  and  truth  will  perish 
at  last,  and  the  cause  of  Satan  prosper.  "Here  is  a  hand- 
some present  for  your  trouble  and  fright,  my  brave  fellows," 
says  the  High  Priest.  "Just  say  to  the  common  people, 
who  know  not  the  law  and  are  cursed, — just  say,  We  slept, 
and  his  disciples  stole  him.  And  if  Pilate  should  say  aught, 
we  will  give  him  such  a  hint  of  the  true  state  of  the  case,  and 
accompany  the  hint  with  such  an  appendix  from  our  treasury, 
as  will' avert  from  you  all  undesirable  consequences  of  your 
kind  services  to  us."  The  soldiers  depart,  the  Sanhedrim 
adjourns,  not  without  those  secret  misgivings  which  have  well 
been  called  the  beginning  of  judgment  to  come.  You  ask 
why  I  relate  this  event.  To  connect  the  history  of  the  fore- 
noon and  the  afternoon  of  our  Lord's  resurrection-day  by 
this  event,  the  only  one  which  remained  to  be  mentioned 
among  the  many  and  various  occurrences  of  that  important 
morning.  The  sun  rose,  and  filled  the  city  again  with  noise 
and  bustle,  and  the  temple  with  sacrifices,  fire,  incense,  songs 
and  psalms,  with  purchasers  and  sellers,  and  with  the  large 
19* 


222  THE   WALK    TO    EMMAUS. 

assembly  of  formalists  and  hypocrites,  mingled  with  a  few 
humble  and  sincere  worshippers,  upon  whom  a  better  day  was 
soon  to  dawn.  The  sun  reached  his  meridian  height  and 
passed  it,  and,  as  he  descended,  two  more  appearances  of  our 
risen  Lord  signalized  this  in  the  history  of  our  world  unpar- 
alleled day.  I  refer  to  his  appearance  to  Peter  (which  the 
entire  absence  of  particulars  obliges  us  to  pass  by),  and  to 
the  event  related  in  our  text.  To  the  consideration  of  this 
portion  of  Holy  Writ  let  us  now  attend,  with  solemnity  of 
mind  and  with  sincere  desires  for  spiritual  instruction  and 
profit ;  and  may  He  with  whom  is  the  residue  of  the  spirit 
prepare  our  minds,  guide  our  thoughts,  and  seal  instruction  to 
our  hearts. 

I.  The  conversation  of  the  two  disciples. 

II.  Their  reproof  and  instruction. 

III.  The  divine  illumination  of  their  minds. 

IV.  The  joy  of  their  hearts. 

These  are  the  four  topics  to  which  our  attention  will  chiefly 
be  turned. 

I.  "  And  behold,  two  of  them  went  that  same  day  to  & 
village  called  Emmaus,  which  was  from  Jerusalem  about 
three-score  furlongs." — Who  were  they?  One  of  them  was 
Cleopas,  most  probably,  the  husband  of  that  Mary  who  was 
the  sister  of  the  mother  of  Christ.  He  was  also  the  brother 
of  Joseph,  the  supposed  father  of  our  Lord.  He  was  one 
of  those  who  belonged  to  the  narrower  circle  of  the  friends 
of  Christ,  and  who  remained  in  the  most  intimate  connection 
with  the  apostles  ever  afterwards.  And  if  Nathaniel  was 
the  other,  I  should  not  be  surprised.  At  all  events,  this 
other  one  also  must  have  been  one  of  the  more  trusty  and 
sincere  friends  of  our  Lord, —  one  waiting  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  and  fully  prepared  to  enter  into  all  the  feelings  of  that 


THE    WALK   TO    EMMAUfc*.  223 

little  flock  which  then  was  scattered  as  sheep  without  a  shep- 
herd. All  which  these  two  men  knew  of  the  occurrences  of 
the  morning  was  the  account  of  the  second  company  of 
women  who  went  to  anoint  the  body  of  Christ,  and  that  of 
Peter  and  John's  subsequent  visit  to  the  sepulchre.  Or  if, 
indeed,  Mary,  the  wife  of  Cleopas,  and  Salome,  brought  home 
tne  positive  news  that  Christ  was  risen,  and  that  they  had 
seen  him,  their  testimony,  already  invalid  by  Jewish  laws 
and  customs,  was  received  with  distrust  by  most  of  the  disci- 
ples, as  Peter  and  John  had  been  to  the  sepulchre,  but  did 
not  find  the  Lord.  Having  heard  these  limited  and  imperfect 
accounts,  which  contained  nothing  of  comfort  to  them,  our  two 
pilgrims  set  out  on  foot  for  Emmaus,  a  village  about  seven 
and  a  half  miles  from  Jerusalem.  Either  they  lived  there, 
or  they  went  out  on  business;  or  perhaps  they  wished  to  with- 
draw a  little  from  the  noise  and  the  distractions  of  that  city, 
which  now  had  become  to  them  an  intolerable  abode.  The 
latter  supposition  is  more  agreeable  both  to  the  state  of  their 
minds  and  the  nature  of  their  conversation,  and  especially  to 
the  fact  that  Christ  thought  them  prepared  to  receive  that 
distinguishing  manifestation  of  his  love  to  them,  those  solemn 
instructions,  and  those  soul-refreshing  communications  of  his 
Spirit  and  his  grace,  which,  as  we  shall  see,  were  their  pecu- 
liar and  blessed  privilege  that  day.  You  are  aware  that  these 
'  two  men  were  sufficiently  enlightened  already  to  expect  no 
warlike  prince  in  the  Messiah.  With  them  he  was  to  be  a 
prince  of  peace,  a  teacher  of  righteousness,  the  restorer  of 
primitive  innocence,  simplicity  and  happiness,  the  comfort 
and  glory  of  Israel,  who,  by  the  means  of  superior  wisdom, 
righteousness  and  love,  should  bring  all  the  kings  of  the 
earth  to  a  willing  submission  to  his  sceptre.  A  week  ago, 
their  voices  had  joined  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  in  a  peaceful 


224  THE   WALK  TO   EMMAUS. 

and  holy  song  of  praise  to  the  Son  of  David,  who  came  to 
Jerusalem,  meek  and  lowly,  riding  on  an  ass ;  and  they  had 
no  objection  then  to  his  peaceful  and  humble  exterior.  They 
knew  him  too  well  to  expect  any  other  administration  from 
him  than  that  of  equity  and  love ;  and  what  they  were 
ignorant  of  was  only  the  pervading  spirituality  of  hi3  king- 
dom, the  free,  grand,  sovereign  dispensation  of  its  mercies  to 
all  ready  to  receive  them;  and  especially  the  manner  in 
which  it  was"  to  come, —  that  is,  through  reproach,  weakness, 
and  death. 

They  have  hardly  passed  the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  when  one 
of  them,  breaking  the  silence,  gives  vent  to  his  feelings  in 
some  such  strain  as  this  :  "  Well,  my  dear  brother,  he  is 
dead,  our  Master  is  no  more  !  I  cannot,  cannot  believe  it ; 
it  seems  like  a  distressing,  doleful  dream  to  me,  that  he  should 
have  been  scourged  and  crucified  and  buried ;  but,  alas,  alas  ! 
it  is  but  too  true.  And  if  a  man  be  dead,  shall  he  live 
again  ?  0,  where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming,  and  the  hope 
of  Israel  1  And  must  we  die  without  seeing  the  salvation  of 
God's  people?  According  to  the  prophets,  the  time  is  at 
hand,  and  he  himself  said  and  did  many  things  which  justi- 
fied our  expectations  of  him ;  and  he  was  a  man  dear  to  us, 
and  full  of  the  wisdom,  power  and  Spirit,  of  God.  When  the 
ear  heard  him,  then  it  blessed  him ;  and  when  the  eye  saw 
him,  it  gave  witness  to  him.  He  taught  with  power,  and  not 
as  our  Scribes ;  and  when  he  spoke  comfort,  it  was  like  manna 
and  milk.  I  thought,  It  cannot  fail  us,  this  blessed  hope. 
Soon  every  heart  will  love  him ;  the  world  will  choose  him  for 
her  friend  and  for  her  king,  and  the  glory  and  salvation  of 
Israel  draweth  nigh.  But,  ah  !  he  moulders  in  the  dust  —  he 
is  dead  —  he  is  dead  —  and  the  glowing  spark  of  my  fond- 


THE   WALK   TO   EMMAUS.  225 

est  hope  is  now  extinguished  in  the  deep  darkness  of  his 
grave." 

And  the  reply  of  his  companion  was  equally  replete  with 
sorrow :  "  0,  stop  !  you  break  my  heart !  You  know  I  loved 
him  as  much  as  any  one  of  you  did ;  and,  ah  !  I  cannot  forgive 
it  to  our  High  Priests.  It  was  abominable  !  And,  were  it 
not  for  their  sacred  office,  I  should  curse  them  with  the 
heaviest  imprecation  of  the  law.  Could  I  but  have  died  with 
him,  then  I  should  be  at  ease  and  rid  of  trouble,  and  rest 
with  my  fathers,  for  I  am  weary  of  life.  But  you  heard,  I 
suppose,  of  Chuza's  wife,  and  the  rest  who  went  to  the  sepul- 
chre, and  saw  angels  who  said  he  lived;  and  of  Peter  and 
John ;  —  and  was  not  your  wife  there  too  ?  —  they  all  found 
the  grave  open,  and  what  do  you  think  1"  "  Ah  !  as  to  the 
women,"  the  other  rejoined,  "  it  was  dark  when  they  went 
out,  and  they  were  fearful,  and  thought  they  saw  and  heard 
something.  Peter  and  John  went  out  when  it  was  clear  day, 
and  they  found  nothing  but  an  empty  grave ;  and  what  does 
that  prove  ?  Or,  will  you  rest  your  faith  upon  the  testimony 
of  females  ]  After  all,  we  have  been  mistaken  about  our 
pious  friend.  A  holy,  good  brother  he  was,  and  indeed  he 
seems  to  have  thought  himself  the  Messiah, —  or  we  misunder- 
stood him,  it  may  be ;  mistakes  are  easy.  At  all  events,  the 
Messiah  he  was  not ;  for  he  is  dead  and  buried,  and  Israel  is 
not  delivered,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  has  not  come." 

So  they.—  Events  like  the  death  of  Christ,  and  mistakes 
like  those  of  our  disciples,  are  very  common  in  the  history  of 
the  church.  In  this  world,  Herod  is  king,  and  Caiaphas  High 
Priest,  and  Christ  is  condemned  and  crucified  time  and  again, 
and  his  people  are  laughed  to  scorn  as  fools,  and  trodden 
under  foot  and  cast  out  as  the  offscouring  of  the  world. 
Where  is  the  truly  pious  king,  in  all  the  eighteen  centuries  of 


226  THE   WALK  TO   EMMAUS. 

our  era,  who  had  faith  and  devotion  enough  wholly  to  lay 
down  his  crown  and  sceptre  at  the  feet  of  Christ,  whose  cab- 
inet was  not  more  or  less  based  upon  the  low  principles  of 
brute  force  and  self-interest,  and  whose  course  was  not  defiled 
with  the  maxims  and  practices  of  the  world  1  Can  anything 
be  more  scarce  than  such  a  king  1  What  has  the  true  church 
of  Christ  yet  experienced  on  earth,  more  than  bare  suffer- 
ance  ?  Blessed  be  God,  she  needs  no  more ;  and,  if  that  also 
be  denied  her,  she  needs  not  that !  She  knows,  and  she 
alone,  how  to  grow  and  spread  amid  the  terrors  of  persecution. 
She  has  realized  the  fable  of  the  phoenix  coming  forth  young 
and  fresh  from  the  burning  furnace,  and  has  done  so  more 
than  once.  But,  while  the  storm  roars  and  the  flames  of  per- 
secution rage,  the  faith  of  many  Christians  is  tried  severely, 
and  many  a  half-despairing  glance  and  many  a  half-murmur- 
ing sigh  ascends  to  heaven.  The  apostolic  age  had  not  yet 
expired,  when  the  streets  of  Rome  were  already  illuminated 
by  burning  Christians  wrapped  in  pitch-cloth,  while  others, 
disguised  in.  wild  beasts'  skins,  were  hunted  down  and  torn 
to  pieces  by  dogs.  The  blood  of  more  than  forty  thousand 
Christians  was  spilled  before  the  close  of  the  first  century. 
Nero,  Domitian,  Trajan,  Antoninus,  Severus,  Maximinus, 
Decius,  Valerian,  Aurelian  and  Dioclesian,  made  havoc  of  the 
little  inoffensive  flock  of  Christ.  Under  the  latter  monarch 
seventeen  thousand  fell  in  one  month,  and  within  ten  years  one 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  fell  in  Egypt  alone,  besides 
seven  hundred  thousand  that  died  in  public  works  to  which 
they  were  condemned,  and  in  banishment.  Against  the  hand- 
ful of  poor,  ignorant  Waldenses,  who  had  nothing  and  knew 
nothing  but  their  Bible,  the  Inquisition  must  be  raised,  and 
the  judgment-day  alone  will  disclose  the  horrors  of  its  unex- 
plored  caverns   and  jails.     One   single   Arian  queen   from 


the*  walk  to  emmaus.  227 

among  the  northern  nations  butchered  one  hundred  thousand 
Trinitarians  before  she  died.  Under  the  hand  of  the  mad 
Spaniards  there  fell  in  Holland  upwards  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand so-called  heretics.  France  needs  but  to  be  mentioned 
to  excite  horror  and  disgust.  All  that  is  cruel,  all  that  is 
shameless,  was  practised  upon  Protestant  heretics  there. 
Bartholomew's  night,  in  1572,  will  be  a  prominent  and 
absorbing  case  in  the  decisions  of  the  judgment-day.  Besides 
the  scenes  of  Paris,  those  of  Meaux,  Angers,  Orleans, 
Trojes,  Bourges,  La  Charite  and  Lyons,  will  come  to  light ; 
nor  will  the  bloody  high-mass  of  Gregory  XIII.  at  Kome, 
with  his  cardinals,  and  all  their  pomp  and  exultation,  be  for- 
gotten, by  which  they  commemorated  the  death  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  innocent  persons.  Louis  XIY.  of  France,  the 
admired  monarch,  the  great  man  (though  Lucifer  is  greater 
than  he),  committed  outrages  against  Christians  which  Nero 
and  Dioclesian  did  not  commit.  The  scenes  of  England  are 
too  familiar  to  my  audience  to  need  a  mention.  About  the 
middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  from  forty  to  fifty  thou- 
sand defenceless  individuals  suffered  death  within  a  few  days 
in  Ireland.  And  Scotland,  Spain,  Germany,  Bohemia,  etc., 
would  furnish  us  with  facts  sufficient  to  fill  the  world  with 
them.  And  how  could  the  church  live,  you  ask  ?  How  she 
lived,  I  cannot  tell ;  but  that  she  did  live,  we  know.  Yea, 
what  I  have  mentioned  could  not  impede  her  growth.  Under 
such  circumstances,  the  church  not  only  lived,  but  budded 
and  blossomed  like  Carmel  and  Sharon.  But,  when  I  think 
of  the  sealing  up  of  the  Bible  till  the  art  of  printing  was 
invented ;  when  I  think  of  the  one  thousand  years'  darkness 
from  Augustine  to  Luther ;  when  I  think  of  all  the  ruinous 
errors,  in  doctrine  and  practice,  which  crept  at  different 
times  into  Christendom ;  when  I  think  of  all  the  sects  which 


228  THE   WALK   TO   EMMAUS. 

sprung  up,  and  whose  very  names  would  fill  pages ;  when  I 
think  of  all  the  scientific  and  literary  crusades  made  against 
the  Bible ;  when  I  think  of  the  calm,  strong-minded  scepti- 
cism of  England,  by  which  the  five  senses  which  every 
animal  has  in  common  with  us  were  made  to  defy  and  to 
silence  the  divine  voice  within  man,  and  the  foreboding  of 
eternity, —  or  of  the  sparkling  wit  and  the  learned  atheism  of 
France,  by  which  they  meant  to  prove  that  their  souls  and 
ours  were  made  of  mud, —  or  of  the  criticisms  and  metaphys- 
ics of  Germany,  that  were  to  convert  us,  the  one  into  gram- 
mars and  lexicons,  the  other  into  vapor  and  nothing ;  when  I 
think  of  these  batteries,  all  directed  against  the  simple  tale  of 
the  Gospel,  all  contrived  and  managed  by  the  arch-fiend  of 
everything  good  and  holy,  to  tear  from  us  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus,  I  am  amazed,  I  am  overwhelmed,  I  must  cry  out, 
"  Lord,  was  it  possible  that  the  church  could  live?  "  Yes,  it 
was.  Was  not  thy  word,  whose  every  syllable  has  been 
doubted,  examined,  distorted,  denied,  mocked,  cursed,  pro- 
hibited,—  was  it  not  buried  up  in  eternal  oblivion,  or  torn  in 
piecemeal  and  scattered  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven  ?  No  ! 
no  !  The  word  and  church  of  Christ  stand  yet  untouched,  and 
while  He  stands  they  will.  Though  Herod  be  king  on  earth 
and  Caiaphas  High  Priest,  Jesus  is  both  King  and  High  Priest 
in  heaven  !  But,  while  all  this  is  going  on,  many  a  dejected 
Cleopas,  wandering  to  Emmaus  with  his  fellow-sufferers, 
exclaims,  "  Ah !  we  trusted  that  it  had  been  he  who  should 
have  redeemed  Israel !  *' 

We  proceed  to  our  second  topic,  and  then  will  they  find 
their  answer. 

II.  The  road  to  Emmaus  wTas  a  solitary  one,  especially  at 
this  time.  Our  pilgrims  had  ample  opportunity  to  unbosom 
themselves  freely.     They  were  in  no  particular  hurry ;  they 


THE    WALK  TO   EMMAUS.  229 

walked  along, —  now  slower,  now  quicker,  now  they  stop,  then 
the j  proceed  again,  just  as  men  are  apt  to  do  who  are  engaged 
in  an  absorbing  and  affecting  theme  of  conversation.  By  and 
by  a  solitary  stranger  overtakes  them.  They  take  him  for  a 
pilgrim  from  abroad,  and  his  appearance  is  so  prepossessing 
and  lovely  that  they  proceed  with  their  conversation,  void 
of  any  apprehension.  The  stranger,  instead  of  passing  on 
ahead  of  them,  seems  inclined  to  keep  them  company ;  and, 
after  the  usual  salutation  of  peace,  he  addressed  them  in  some 
such  way  as  this  :  "  Men  and  brethren,  I  perceive  your  minds 
and  hearts  are  deeply  engaged  in  a  serious  though  melancholy 
subject  of  conversation.  I,  too,  feel  interested  in  whatsoever 
concerns  a  higher  and  better  world  than  this  ;  and  the  prom- 
ises of  God,  the  hope  of  Israel,  and  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
every  soul  under  heaven,  are  subjects  very  near  and  dear  to 
my  heart.  But  I  have  not  been  able  to  gather  any  meaning 
or  connection  from  your  abrupt  exclamations  and  remarks. 
What  manner  of  communications,  then,  are  these,  that  ye 
have  one  to  another,  as  ye  walk,  and  are  sad  ?  Those  that 
fear  the  Lord  speak  often  one  to  another,  as  the  prophet  says ; 
and  who  knows  what  spiritual  enjoyment  and  comfort  a  free, 
brotherly  exchange  of  feeling,  and  of  divine  knowledge,  may 
yield  us  by  the  way?"  Cleopas  and  his  companion  no  sooner 
discern  in  this  stranger  a  pious  brother,  than  they  unburden 
their  hearts  in  the  lively  and  affecting  manner  of  our  text, 
expecting,  probably,  many  questions,  and  much  of  wonder 
and  perplexity,  on  the  part  of  the  foreigner.  But,  what  was 
their  surprise,  think  you,  when  they  perceived  his  sweet 
countenance  overspreading  with  something  of  that  same  divine 
ease  and  calmness,  and  his  pensive  eye  glancing  away,  as  it 
were,  over  the  plains  of  heaven  and  eternity,  with  that  same 
profound  and  enrapturing  intensity,  which  they  used  to  think 
20 


230  THE   WALK   TO   EMMAUS. 

the  exclusive  characteristics  of  their  deceased  Rabbi  of 
Nazareth  ?  How  strange,  when  he  opened  his  lips  to  express 
his  astonishment  at  nothing  save  their  unbelief,  and  when, 
after  the  faithful  and  tender  reproof,  he  commenced  a  course 
of  divine  instruction,  which  expanded  their  minds  to  a  thou- 
sand new  ideas,  and  poured  a  river  of  consolation  and  joy  into 
their  wounded  hearts !  "0,  ye  fools,  and  slow  of  heart  to 
believe  all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken  !  Ought  not  Christ 
to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  to  enter  into  his  glory  1 " 
What !  have  you  forgotten  that  the  woman's  seed,  the  Re- 
storer of  the  fall,  will  not  crush  the  serpent's  head  without 
having  his  own  heel  crushed  first  ?  You  know  the  universal 
law  of  conscience  recognized  by  the  sacrifices  of  Moses,  that 
without  the  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission  of  sin  ;  and 
the  universal  law  of  reason  recognized  by  the  repetition  of 
those  sacrifices,  that  the  blood  of  beasts  cannot  take  it  away, 
—  and  do  you  draw  no  inference  from  this  ?  Moses  has  told 
you,  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  abideth  not  in  all  things 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them ;  "  and  again  he  has 
told  you,  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree ; "  and 
the  Messiah  is  to  redeem  you  from  the  curse  of  the  broken 
law,  and  your  lamented  friend  has  been  hanged  on  a  tree, — 
and  does  not  the  grand  and  cheering  inference  meet  you  at 
the  very  threshold  ]  What  meaneth  the  brazen  serpent 
which  Moses  raised  for  the  healing  of  the  people  ?  Have  you 
altogether  forgotten  the  opposition  of  the  kings  and  princes  of 
the  earth  to  Jehovah,  and  to  his  Son,  as  it  is  described  in  the 
second  Psalm ;  and  the  Messiah's  sufferings  in  the  twenty- 
second  and  the  sixty-ninth  Psalms,  and  the  glory  which  was 
to  follow  ?  But,  if  all  this  has  escaped  your  attention,  how 
was  it  possible  for  you  to  overlook  what  Isaiah  says  of  the 
small  beginning  of  the  Messiah's  reign,   of  his  sufferings, 


THE   WALK  TO   EMMAUS.  231 

reproaches  and  death,  as  the  atonement  for  the  sins  of  a 
world ;  of  the  opposition  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  Saviour, 
and  of  the  previous  salvation  of  the  heathen  world,  before 
Israel  will  return  to  God  as  a  people,  and  look  upon  him 
whom  they  have  pierced  ?  Are  all  your  Priests  and  Scribes 
able  to  explain  to  you  that  portion  of  Isaiah  which  begins, 
li  Behold,  my  servant  shall  deal  prudently,"  etc.,  unless  they 
admit  that  the  Messiah  is  first  to  die  for  your  sins,  and  then 
to  rise  and  to  reign  forever  ?  They  are  not  nor  will  they 
ever  be  able.  Is  not  the  Messiah  to  be  smitten  as  a  shepherd, 
and  his  disciples  to  be  scattered  as  sheep?  Is  not  "the 
Messiah  "  to  be  "  cut  off,  but  not  for  himself,"  "  to  finish  the 
transgression,  and  to  make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to  make  recon- 
ciliation for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in  everlasting  righteous- 
ness, and  to  seal  up  the  visions  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint 
the  most  holy,"  his  spiritual  sanctuary,  the  church  on  earth, 
and  prepare  the  temple  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens,  for  the  reception  of  all  his  followers  into  never- 
ending  rest  and  glory  ? 

Thus,  only  more  at  large  and  infinitely  better,  did  our 
blessed  Lord  expound  to  the  astonished  pilgrims  of  Emmaus 
the  law  and  the  prophets,  and,  indeed,  "  all  the  counsel  of 
God."  And,  above  all  things,  he  introduced  them  into  the 
great  secret  of  his  kingdom,  namely,  that  the  way  to  glory 
for  Christ  himself,  for  his  word,  his  doctrine  and  his  people, 
leads  through  Gethsemane,  over  Calvary,  through  the  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death,  through  shame  and  blame  undeserved, 
through  much  weakness,  tribulation,  and  fear.  A  secret 
which  neither  the  world  nor  Satan  will  understand,  though 
they  hear  it  ringing  in  their  ears  from  every  truly  Christian 
pulpit,  until  they  shall  see  the '  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory.     Such  scenes 


232  THE   WALK   TO   EMMAUS. 

have  been  repeated,  on  a  larger  or  smaller  scale,  innumerable 
times.  It  is  but  a  few  years  since,  that,  in  some  Christian 
countries,  unbelieving  hirelings  were  obtruded  by  the  civil 
arm  upon  a  thousand  congregations,  to  feed  the  poor  people 
with  the  empty  straw  of  moral  essays,  and  with  the  apostate 
speculations  of  corrupt  universities ;  and  to  approach,  in  the 
midst  of  God's  church  and  people,  the  throne  of  glory  with 
senseless,  heartless,  printed  mockeries,  in  the  form  of  prayers 
and  liturgies.  Strict  attendance  to  divine  worship  was 
ordered,  and  every  kind  and  degree  of  methodism  and  mys- 
ticism —  that  is,  all  social  prayer-meetings,  and  Bible-reading, 
and  pious  conversation  —  severely  forbidden.  Many  were 
doomed  to  prison,  many  were  beaten,  many  who  could  fly 
fled.  In  another  country,  which  then  professed  great  attach- 
ment to  vital  godliness,  the  proceedings  of  the  Bible  society 
were  stopped  at  once ;'  pious  ministers  were  exiled,  unheard 
and  uncondemned,  and  the  people  were  left  like  sheep  without 
a  shepherd.  And  I  have  seen  the  effects  with  my  eyes,  and 
heard  them  with  my  ears.  0,  what  pale  faces !  0,  what 
sighs,  doubts,  and  fears!  "We  trusted  that  it  had  been  he 
who  should  have  redeemed  Israel !  "  But  to  these,  and  all 
in  similar  distress,  we  can  only  say,  "  0,  (ye)  fools,  and  slow 
of  heart  to  believe  all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken !  " 
Come,  open  your  blessed  Bible,  read  its  pages,  and  in  the 
light  thereof  view  once  more  the  changing  scenes  of  this 
world,  and  you  will  soon  perceive  a  mutual  agreement  and  a 
symmetry  which  abundantly  demonstrate  the  presence  of  a 
divine  hand  in  either  case.  Why  is  Abel  slain,  and  Cain 
permitted  to  live  1  Why  is  Enoch,  whose  pious  influence  was 
so  much  needed,  taken  away,  while  Nimrod  builds  cities  and 
towers,  and  plants  kingdoms,  and  tyrannizes  over  the  world  ? 
Why  is  Abraham  a  wanderer  and  stranger,  while  the  Canaan- 


THE  WALK  TO   EMMAUS.  233 

ite  possesses  and  defiles  the  land  of  promise  1  Why  must 
Jacob  flee,  and  Esau  remain  in  the  paternal  house  ?  Why  is 
David  a  fugitive  in  the  earth,  while  the  reprobated  Saul  pos- 
sesses the  kingdom  ?  Why  must  Jonathan,  the  noble,  pious 
prince,  fall  in  battle,  and  Ishbosheth  live  to  trouble  David, 
and  by  his  ambition  to  occasion  the  slaughter  of  thousands  ? 
Why  are  the  prophets  of  Jehovah  killed  by  Jezebel,  like 
sheep,  and  the  priests  of  Baal  and  Ashtaroth  live  and  riot 
upon  the  sweat  of  the  poor,  and  corrupt  the  ignorant  ?  Why 
must  Elijah,  who  had  been  very  jealous  for  the  Lord,  the  God 
of  hosts,  make  his  escape  like  a  thief,  and  Jezebel  remain  on 
her  throne,  to  reestablish  the  impure  worship  of  Jupiter  and 
of  Venus  ?  Why  must  the  infant  Jesus  flee  to  Egypt,  and 
Herod  sit  quietly  in  Jerusalem  ?  And  why  were  the  holy 
prophets  constantly  "  persecuted  and  slain,"  and  why  did  the 
apostles  die  the  death  of  martyrs,  and  Stephen  with  them, 
and  multitudes  of  others  'I  Why  ?  —  The  kingdom  of  Christ 
is  not  of  this  world,  and  the  disciple  is  not  above  his  master, 
nor  the  servant  above  his  lord.  This  is  the  strait  and  nar- 
row path  which  leadeth  unto  life,  and  there  is  none  other. 
But  be  of  good  cheer,  you  who  suffer  for  righteousness'  sake, 
—  your  path  leads  unto  life.  Though  Herod  be  king  on 
earth,  and  Caiaphas  be  High  Priest,  Jesus  is  both  King  and 
High  Priest  in  heaven. 

III.  But  we  must  hasten  to  return  to  our  travellers,  for 
they  are  already  drawing  near  to  Emmaus. 

While  the  dear  stranger  uttered  his  "gracious  words, 
Cleopas  and  his  companion  observed  the  most  profound  and 
respectful  silence.  They  listened  as  to  words  of  eternal  life ; 
and,  indeed,  that  they  would  have  been,  had  they  been  accom- 
panied by  no  higher  gift.  But,  when  Jesus  speaks,  he  speaks 
more  than  words.  While  speaking,  he  communicated  to  their 
20* 


234  THE  WALK  TO   EMMAUS. 

minds  that  heavenly  unction  without  which  no  true  knowl- 
edge of  divine  things  ever  existed.  He  opened  their  minds, 
that  they  understood  the  Scriptures.  They  were  distinctly 
conscious  of  this  fact,  though  their  attention  was  not  called  to  it 
until  "  he  vanished  out  of  their  sight."  "  Did  not  our  hearts 
burn  within  us  while  he  talked  with  us  by  the  way,  and  while 
he  opened  to  us  the  Scriptures?"  That  I  interpret  this 
passage  rightly,  you  may  see  from  a  comparison  of  v.  45, 
where  it  is  said,  in  reference  to  the  apostles,  "  Then  opened 
he  (Christ)  their  understanding,  that  they  might  understand 
the  Scriptures."  Here,  the  meaning  cannot  be  restricted  to 
mere  verbal  expositions  of  Scripture  passages ;  for  that  privi- 
lege the  apostles  had  enjoyed  for  more  than  three  years,  and 
still  their  understanding  was  most  evidently  not  "opened." 
On  this  important  subject  I  shall  have  more  to  say,  when, 
Providence  permitting,  we  shall  come  to  a  consideration  of  the 
passage  just  quoted.  Here  it  may  suffice  to  observe,  that  the 
thing  spoken  of  in  either  passage  is  that  divine  illumination 
of  the  mind  by  which  the  spiritual  meaning,  beauty  and  power, 
of  divine  truth,  is  revealed  to  the  quickened  and  sanctified 
apprehension  of  man.  This  divine  light  is  the  exclusive  priv- 
ilege of«  the  renewed  heart,  and  is  common  to  all  the  children 
of  God.  It  is  distinct  from  the  Spirit  of  inspiration  afterwards 
communicated  to  the  apostles,  as  we  shall  see  on  that  future 
opportunity  already  alluded  to.  It  is  distinct,  also,  from  the 
oral  instruction  of  Christ.  Hundreds  of  times  he  had  given 
oral  instruction  to  thousands ;  but  it  is  nowhere  said  that  he 
opened  the  understanding  of  the  people,  or  even  of  the  apos- 
tles; nor  did  they,  in  reality,  ever  understand  him  wholly. 
Here  this  gift  is  first  mentioned;  it  is  mentioned  distinct 
from  the  oral  instructions  themselves,  and,  therefore,  differs 
from  them,  if  the  Evangelist  spoke  sense. 


THE  WALK  TO   EMMAUS.  235 

0  that  I  could  now  dip  my  pen  in  the  river  of  life,  or  in 
the  crystal  sea,  or  in  the  rainbow  around  the  throne  of  God, 
to  portray,  in  all  its  supernatural  beauty,  the  wondrous 
moment  when  the  heavy  scales  of  sin  and  gross  sense  drop 
from  the  eyes  of  the  repenting  sinner,  and  the  realities  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  are  revealed  to  him  through  the  mirror  of 
the  divine  Word  !  Men  and  brethren,  it  is  no  vision,  no 
dream,  no  morbid  state  of  mind.  It  is  sound,  wakeful  reality; 
and  the  mind  which  experiences  what  I  say  is  calm  as  the 
breathless  ocean,  and  clear  as  a  sunbeam,  and  as  the  new- 
created  star  of  Bethlehem.  On  the  contrary,  the  common  frame 
of  mind,  in  which  we  are  by  nature,  appears  then  compara- 
tively like  a  distressing,  feverish  dream,  like  a  strange  delirium 
or  stupor,  to  which  we.  look  back  with  terror  and  amazement. 

If  you  permit  me  an  imperfect  comparison,  I  should  liken 
a  man  whose  mind  becomes  enlightened  on  divine  subjects  to 
a  lost  traveller  groping  through  the  blackness  of  night,  amid 
the  howling  of  a  storm  and  the  pelting  rain.  The  country  is 
unknown  to  him,  and  perilous;  and  he  feels  carefully  his 
uncertain  and  slippery  way  with  his  staff  to  avoid  the  preci- 
pices which  surround  him.  0,  how  he  wishes  for  the  day  ! 
At  last,  the  east  begins  to  dawn ;  he  can  select  his  steps ;  his 
path  seems  to  lie  on  an  eminence,  but  the  valley  beneath  and 
the  horizon  around  are  still  wrapped  in  a  thick,  impenetrable 
fog.  As  yet  all  is  dreariness  and  chill,  and  heaven  and  earth 
seem  to  be  in  sackcloth.  By  and  by,  the  golden  sun  rises, 
and 

"  Pillows  his  chin  upon  an  orient  wave  ; 
The  flocking  shadows  pale 
Troop  to  the  infernal  jail,  — 
Each  fettered  ghost  slips  to  his  several  grave." 

The  gilded  mountain-tops  proclaim  a  clear  and  cheerful  day ; 


236  THE  WALK  TO    EMMA  US. 

the  rajs  of  the  sun  pierce  the  vapors  in  a  thousand  directions ; 
cloud  after  cloud  takes  wing,  and  speeds  away,  till  they  leave 
to  our  traveller  the  wonderful  spectacle  of  a  boundless  land- 
scape, set  with  all  the  jewelry  of  the  morning  dew,  and  glow- 
ing with  the  purity  and  the  freshness  of  Paradise,  as  far  and 
wide  as  the  eye  can  reach.  But  what  have  we  been  about  ? 
Has  our  "  parable  "  done  at  all  justice  to  its  subject?  Can  a 
mere  shadow  do  justice  to  reality  ?  Verily,  I  am  tired  my- 
self of  words  and  comparisons  so  unfit  for  my  purpose.  0 
that  I  could  open  the  eyes  of  those  here  who  do  not  under- 
stand me,  to  see  my  meaning !  How  astonished  would  they 
be,  and  how  would  we  all  rejoice  together  in  the  blessed  con- 
templation and  prospect  of  a  better  world !  But  to  give  you 
that  illumination  of  mind  is  the  prerogative  of  Jesus ;  and  to 
him  must  I  commend  your  case.  Remember  this ;  you  know 
not  what  your  Bible  is, —  you  never  will  know  it  till  you 
seek  and  find  the  light  of  heaven. 

IV.  We  hasten  to  the  close. 

Our  pilgrims  have  now  arrived  at  Emmaus.  They  stand 
before  the  door  of  that  pious  family  where  the  two  disciples 
intended  to  put  up  for  the  night.  The  stranger  wants  to 
proceed,  but  they  urge  him  to  remain.  "  Abide  with  us,  for 
it  is  toward  evening,  and  the  day  is  far  spent."  How  can 
we,  dearest  brother,  part  with  thee  so  soon?  Our  hearts 
long  to  be  filled  with  thy  blessed  company,  pious  stranger ; 
and,  then,  it  is  evening,  and  the  night  comes  apace,  and  we 
should  love  so  much  to  make  thee  comfortable  here.  Abide 
with  us,  dearest  one ;  and,  if  thou  wilt  condescend  to  teach  us 
still  further,  we  will  listen  to  thee,  and  pray  and  hope  and 
rejoice  with  thee,  till  the  rising  sun,  and  then  thou  shalt  depart 
in  peace.  Therefore,  "  abide  with  us."  The  stranger  yields, 
and  they  enter  in.     Soon  the  frugal  supper  is  prepared,  and 


THE  WALK  TO   EMMAUS.  237 

they  sit  down  to  the  meal.  The  dignified  stranger  assumes 
the  place  and  office  of  the  host,  and  the  two  travellers  cheer- 
fully and  respectfully  yield  to  him  that  privilege.  He  takes 
the  bread  and  looks  up ;  they  look  on  with  amazement ;  — 
"  What  a  look  is  this  !  what  a  glance  into  the  third  heaven  ! 
Is  this  our  dear  —  no,  impossible!"  He  gives  thanks, — 
and  they  are  ready  to  sink  to  the  ground  with  wonder,  fear 
and  joy.  "It  is  his  voice  —  it  is  his  voice!"  Now  their 
eyes  are  opened.  1 1  Yes,  these  are  his  very  looks,  and  we 
knew  him  not,  the  dearest  Master  !  "  They  rise  to  clasp 
him  in  their  arms ;  but  he  vanishes  out  of  their  sight.  To 
paint  their  surprise  and  their  feelings  would  be  a  vain 
endeavor.  Their  hearts  overflow  w7ith  joy.  The  supper 
remains  untouched  on  the  table ;  and,  late  as  it  is,  they  go, 
yea,  they  run  back  to  Jerusalem,  to  bring  word  to  the  eleven. 
Breathless,  they  burst  into  the  room.  They  find  them  in 
one  place  assembled,  and,  as  they  enter,  it  echoes  from  every 
side,  "  The  Lord  has  risen,  and  has  appeared  to  Simon." 
"  Yea,  and  to  us,  too,"  they  reply;  and  relate  the  wrhole  of 
the  event,  interrupting  one  another  in  their  haste. 

11  Did  not  our  hearts  burn  within  us,  while  he  talked  with 
us?"  Indeed,  and  well  might  they.  Divine  knowledge 
gives  divine  joy.  The  man  whose1  religion  consists  in  cold 
speculation  and  a  cheerless  orthodoxy  is  a  starving,  perishing 
soul.  But  that  man  who  feels  his  sins  forgiven  and  his 
iniquities  pardoned,  who  knowrs  his  name  written  in  heaven 
and  his  peace  made  with  God, —  that  man's  heart  burns. 
Away  he  flies,  to  seek  like-feeling  souls,  that  may  help  his 
inexperienced  voice  to  strike  up  a  joyful  psalm  of  gratitude 
and  love.  "  Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth 
speaketh."  Taught  by  the  unction  of  which  we  spoke,  he 
knows,  he  feels  what  the  unbelieving  scholar's  eye,  or  ear,  or 


238  THE  WALK  TO   EMMAUS. 

heart,  never  experienced ;  he  feels  the  meaning  of  the  sacred 
poet,  when  he  sings,  "My  beloved  spake,  and  said  unto  me, 
Rise  up,  my  love,  my  fair  one,  and  come  away.  For,  lo,  the 
winter  is  past,  the  rain  is  over  and  gone ;  the  flowers 
appear  on  the  earth  ;  the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  is 
come,  and  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is  heard  in  our  land. 
Already  the  fig-tree  embalmeth  her  fruit,  and  the  budding 
vines  smell  sweetly.  Arise,  my  love,  my  fair  one,  and  come 
away.  0  thou,  my  dove  in  the  clefts  of  the  rocks  and  in 
the  hiding-places  of  the  rough  precipice  I  Let  me  see 
thy  countenance,  let  me  hear  thy  voice;  for  sweet  is  thy 
voice,  and  thy  countenance  is  comely.  Take  us  the  foxes, 
the  little  foxes  which  destroy  the  vineyard  ;  for  our  vineyards 
are  all  one  blossom.  It  is  enough  that  my  beloved  is  mine, 
and  I  am  his, —  his,  who  feedeth  among  the  lilies.  At  the 
evening  breeze,  0  my  friend,  and  when  the  stretching  shad- 
ows flee  away,  then  return  thou  unto  me,  like  a  roe  or  a 
young  hart,  over  the  dividing  hills."  And  let  no  profane 
and  wordly-minded  sage  check  or  mock  the  sacred  overflow- 
ings of  the  new-born  soul ;  or  let  him  first  take  away  the 
soothing,  healing  power  of  the  balm  of  Gilead,  and  destroy  the 
consolations  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  the  soul-stirring  energies 
of  eternal  truth,  and  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come.  Let 
him  not  dare  to  stretch  beyond  his  line  (short,  alas !  it  is), 
nor  judge  of  things  which  he  never  felt.  As  well  might  you 
prevent  the  birds  from  singing,  and  the  lilies  from  blossoming, 
when  the  genial  powers  of  spring  move  in  the  bosom  of  the 
earth.  Are  there  any  of  my  readers  whose  hearts  never 
burnt  as  He  spoke  unto  them,  and  as  He  opened  to  them  the 
Scriptures  1  —  Your  case  is  one  which  calls  for  tender  pity ; 
your  life  is  not  worth  having ;  and,  if  you  die  as  you  lived, 
your  existence  is  a  curse.     But  your  case  is  one,  too,  which 


THE  WALK  TO   EMMAUS.  239 

calls  for  unsparing  reproof.  Our  disciples,  as  they  walked 
along,  "  talked  together  of  all  these  things  which  had  hap- 
pened'7 at  Jerusalem, — and  then  u  Jesus  himself  drew  near, 
and  went  with  them"  But  of  what  have  you  talked  by  the 
way  thus  far, —  of  what  are  you  talking  1  Give,  now,  I  pray 
you,  glory  to  the  Lord,  and  make  confession  unto  him ;  have 
you  not  talked  about  anything  but  Christ  and  his  cross  ?  Of 
fashions,  amusements,  of  politics  and  literature,  at  best,  you 
converse ;  and  is  religion  not  worth  one  of  your  moments '? 
Say,  now,  what  would  be  your  feelings  if  some  Christian 
friend  should  endeavor  to  talk  with  you  faithfully  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion  1  You  know  it,  and  I  know  it,  too ;  but  do 
you  think  that  thus  Jesus  himself  will  ever  draw  near  to  you 
and  walk  with  you  ?     Never  ! 

But  you,  who  know  the  love  of  Christ,  let  us  close  this 
Meditation  by  joining  with  one  consent  in  the  petition  of  our 
two  pilgrim  brethren.  Lord,  "  abide  with  us,  for  it  is  toward 
evening,  and  the  day  is  far  spent."  Some  of  us  have  passed 
the  meridian  of  life,  and  our  evening  may  soon  draw  near. 
When  our  sun  sets  and  our  eyes  grow  dim,  when  the  night  of 
death  surrounds  us,  and  every  earthly  comfort  fails, —  0,  then 
l*  abide  with  us  "  !  When  we  can  no  more  read  thy  word, 
when  our  tongues  can  no  more  talk  of  all  these  things,  nor 
our  ears  perceive  the  voice  of  prayer  and  Christian  consola- 
tion and  sympathy, —  0,  then  "  abide  with  us  "  !  Or,  if  the 
sun  of  every  earthly  comfort  must  set  upon  us, —  if  contempt, 
or  poverty,  or  nakedness,  or  hunger,  or  persecution,  or  peril 
by  land  and  sea,  or  the  solitude  of  a  long  and  painful  sick  bed, 
must  ever  try  our  faith  and  obedience,  and  no  Christian 
brother  can  stand  by  us, —  0,  then  "  abide  Thou  with  us  "  ! 
Let  us  hear  Thy  voice,  saying,  "It  is  I,  fear  not,"  and  we 
ill  not  fear,  not  murmur.     Or,  if  we  must  long  sojourn  in 


Wll 


240  THE  WALK  TO   EMMAUS. 

Mesech  and  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Kedar, —  if  our  souls  must 
long  dwell  with  them  that  hate  peace,  far,  far  away,  at  a 
hopeless  distance  from  the  earthly  sanctuary  of  our  God, 
where  our  friends  and  kindred  dwell, —  0,  then  "  abide  with 
us,"  for  it  is  evening  with  us  —  it  is  evening  ;  our  best  years 
are  gone  by,  and  our  day  is  far  spent.  When  none  will  walk 
with  us,  then  draw  thou  near.  When  none  will  speak  with 
us,  then  speak  thou  unto  us  words  of  life  and  joy ;  come  in 
and  tarry  with  us,  and  bless  and  break  unto  us  the  bread  of 
life.  If  thou  be  with  us,  we  will  be  content  while  we  live. 
We  will  remember  that  our  life  is  but  a  hasty  pilgrimage,  but 
three-score  furlongs,  but  a  vapor  which  appeareth  for  a  little 
while,  a  shadow,  a  short  and  foolish  dream ;  but  that 

"  There  is  a  land  of  pure  delight, 
Where  saints  immortal  reign," 

and  where  we  shall  see  Thee  whom  our  soul  loveth,  and  all 
thy  people,  forever.     Amen. 


XII. 

THE  GREAT  EVENING. 

And  as  they  thus  spake,  Jesus  himself  stood  in  the  midst  of  them,  and 
saith  unto  them,  Peace  be  unto  you.  But  they  were  terrified  and  affrighted, 
and  supposed  that  they  had  seen  a  spirit.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Why 
are  ye  troubled  ?  and  why  do  thoughts  arise  in  your  hearts  ?  Behold  my 
hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is  I  myself :  handle  me,  and  see  ;  for  a  spirit 
hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye  see  me  have.  And  when  he  had  thus 
spoken,  he  showed  them  his  hands  and  his  feet.  And  while  they  yet 
believed  not  for  joy,  and  wondered,  he  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  here  any 
meat  ?  And  they  gave  him  a  piece  of  a  broiled  fish,  and  of  an  honey-comb. 
And  he  took  it,  and  did  eat  before  them.  And  he  said  unto  them,  These 
are  the  words  which  I  spake  unto  you,  while  I  was  yet  with  you,  that  all 
things  must  be  fulfilled  which  were  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  and  in  the 
prophets,  and  in  the  Psalms,  concerning  me.  Then  opened  he  their  under- 
standing, that  they  might  understand  the  Scriptures;  and  said  unto  them, 
Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  behoveth  Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from 
the  dead  the  third  day  :  and  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should 
be  preached  in  his  name  among  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem.  And 
ye  are  witnesses  of  these  things.  —  Luke  24  :  36 — 48. 

Then  the  same  day  at  evening,  being  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when  the 
doors  were  shut  where  the  disciples  were  assembled  for  fear  of  the  Jews, 
came  Jesus,  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  saith  unto  them,  Peace  be  unto 
you.  And  when  he  had  so  said,  he  showed  unto  them  his  hands  and  his 
side.  Then  were  the  disciples  glad  when  they  saw  the  Lord.  Then  said 
Jesus  to  them  again,  Peace  be  unto  you  :  as  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even 
so  send  I  you.  And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  breathed  on  them,  and 
saith  unto  them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost  Whose  soever  sins  ye  remit, 
they  are  remitted  unto  them  ;  and  whose  soever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are 
retained.  —  John  20  :  19—23. 
21 


242  THE    GREAT  EVENING. 

Nothing  would  be  more  imperfect  and  inadequate  than  to 
suppose  the  various  appearances  of  our  Lord,  after  his  resur- 
rection, were  intended  merely  to  convince  his  disciples  and 
other  followers  of  his  being  risen  from  the  dead.  Such  a 
view  would  confine  us  to  the  mere  fraction  of  a  plan,  deep- 
cast,  penetrating  both  the  minds  of  men  and  the  veil  of 
futurity,  beyond  everything  predicable  of  a  'man's  contrivance 
in  the  exercise  of  his  most  unusual  powers.  We  must  keep 
in  mind  that  when  ive  hear  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ  a 
very  different  idea  is  conveyed  to  our  minds,  if  we  possess  at 
all  a  knowledge  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  from  that  which  the 
disciples  could  have  derived  from  such  tidings.  They  had 
no  New  Testament  in  their  hands ;  no  eighteen  Christian 
centuries  behind  them,  to  unlock  unto  them  the  profound 
signification  of  their  Lord's  resurrection.  He  is  risen  from 
the  dead !  Joyful  news !  But  the  first  idea  which  must 
have  struck  them  is,  "  Well,  Lazarus  also  was  raised  from 
the  dead,  and  several  others  in  past  times.  But,  of  course, 
they  rose  again  merely  to  live  a  few  years  longer,  and  then  to 
die  again  and  sleep  with  their  fathers.  Is  the  resurrection  of 
our  Lord  like  unto  theirs  ]  And  why  should  it  not  be  1  He 
will  live  with  us  ;  he  will  teach  us  a  few  years  more  ;  he  will, 
perhaps,  after  all,  establish  some  earthly  kingdom,  and,  on  his 
ultimate  peaceful  and  honorable  exit  from  this  world,  will 
leave  Israel,  and,  perhaps,  the  whole  world,  in  that  condition 
of  perfect  piety,  peace  and  prosperity,  for  which  we  are  sigh- 
ing." How  inadequate  this,  though  much  improved,  concep- 
tion would  have  been,  and  how  unlike  to  the  transcendingly 
spiritual  plan  of  Christ,  needs  no  mention.  Or,  they  might 
have  thought,  "  Some  of  the  saints,  too,  which  slept,  have  risen 
and  '  appeared  unto  many ; '  and  so  is  he  also  risen,  and  they 
will  go  to  heaven  together,  and  we  shall  by  and  by  follow 


THE   GREAT  EVENING.  243 

them,  and  be  forever  happy  with  them  ;  and  this  is  all  which 
he  means  by  his  appearing  unto  us."  Comfortable,  indeed, 
would  this  idea  have  been ;  but  still,  how  short  of  the  whole 
reality  before  us,  is  obvious  again.  They  needed  to  be 
taught,  not  merely  that  he  was  risen  from  the  dead,  but 
also  that  his  existence  was,  though  really  bodily,  yet  so 
spiritual  at  the  same  time,  and  so  divinely  independent,  as  to 
be  calculated  for  a  rational  and  moral  foundation,  upon  which 
was  to  be  reared  the  great  doctrine  of  the  spiritual,  yet  real, 
communion  and  intercourse  which  he  held  with  the  apostles, 
and  still  holds  with  every  believer,  to  the  ends  of  the  earth 
and  to  the  utmost  limits  of  time  :  an  intercourse,  you  remem- 
ber, which  no  glorified  saint  in  heaven  can  hold  with  you,  and 
infinitely  less  with  all  believers  over  the  world.  With  the 
whole  mature  and  profound  conception  and  conviction  of  this 
his  elevated  existence  after  his  resurrection,  there  stood  neces- 
sarily, and  closely  connected,  the  whole  nature  of  his  future 
plans,  his  kingdom,  the  means  of  its  promotion,  the  certainty 
of  its  success,  the  spiritual  interests  of  each  Christian  person- 
ally in  time  and  eternity,  and  the  great  question  of  a  glorious 
resurrection  of  the  just :  a  subject  of  whose  close  connection 
with  and  dependence  upon  the  resurrection  of  Christ  the 
apostle  speaks  in  1  Cor.  15 :  12 — 18.  Of  these  all-import- 
ant, but  at  that  time  altogether  novel  subjects,  the  disciples 
were  to  conceive  as  well  as  we,  and  to  believe  them.  But, 
more  than  this,  they  were  to  teach,  defend,  prove,  enforce 
them  before  high  and  low, —  to  fill  the  world  with  them,  and  to 
die  in  attestation  of  their  reality  and  importance.  Their  con- 
viction was  to  become  in  part  the  ground  of  the  conviction  of 
generations  to  come.  The  church  was  to  be  reared  upon  it. 
What  depth,  then,  what  satisfactory  fulness,  what  unques- 
tionable sobriety  and  reality,  must  have  characterized  their 


244  THE   GREAT   EVENING. 

conviction  of  all  this,  if  they  were  to  perform  the  task,  and 
we  to  rest  upon  it  with  an  ease  and  assurance  sufficient  to 
hold  out  in  the  trying  hour  of  death  !  I  know  that  He  might 
have  made  them  fit  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  in  all  respects, 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  by  a  touch  of  creative  power ;  and 
so  might  he  have  fitted  stones,  and  might  fit  them  now,  for  the 
purpose ;  but,  just  as  he  now  chooses  to  cause  divine  truth  to 
flow  from  the  lips  of  him  who  felt  it,  and  not  from  an  uncon- 
scious machinery  of  wheels  and  springs, — just  as  he  now 
chooses  that  face  should  speak  to  face,  eye  beam  upon  eye, 
that  the  living  voice  of  man  should  roll  on  and  carry  thrilling 
conviction, —  not  from  stone  to  heart,  but  from  heart  to  heart, 
and  light  and  life, —  not  from  matter  to  mind,  but  from  mind 
to  mind,  and  the  undying  spark  of  divine  love  from  bosom  to 
bosom, —  so  did  he  then  choose  that  the  sensitive  experience, 
the  intellectual  conviction,  and  the  moraj.  sensibilities  of  man, 
should  be  the  ground  upon  which  was  to  rest  the  great  truth 
of  a  divine  Saviour  from  sin  and  ruin ;  so  that  while  there 
remaineth  yet  on  earth  the  absolutely  necessary  principle  of 
civil  justice  and  common  intercourse, —  I  mean  human  experi- 
ence and  testimony, —  while  there  is  yet  a  spark  of  sound 
intellect  burning  under  heaven,  and  an  unbroken  cord  of 
moral  sensibilities,  there  shall  also  not  be  wanting  on  earth 
believers  in  Jesus,  till  he  shall  come  to  judge  the  world  in 
righteousness. 

But,  if  the  disciples  were  to  attain  to  such  conceptions,  to 
gather  such  a  conviction,  to  prepare  for  a  work  so  great, 
opportunities  were  to  be  afforded,  assistance  was  to  be  granted, 
stumbling-blocks  to  be  removed  from  their  way, —  the  senses 
touched,  reason  convinced,  and  the  sensibilities  of  their  hearts 
tuned  and  disposed.  All  this  was  done  to  perfection  during 
the  forty  days  from  Christ's  resurrection  to  his  ascension,  and 


THE    GREAT   EVENING.  245 

with  an  adaptation  of  means  and  a  wise  economy  altogether 
worthy  of  him  whose  work  the  whole  is. 

The  parts  into  which  I  shall  divide  this  discourse  will 
neither  be  exhausted  nor  relinquished  t5-day.  The  subse- 
quent appearances  of  Christ  will  throw  still  further  light  upon 
them.  Yet,  that  we  may  have  some  definite  aim  in  our 
remarks,  and  be  enabled  to  remember  them  the  better.  I 
propose  the  following  arrangement : 

I.  What  impression  did  our  Lord  wish  to  leave  on 

THE   MINDS   OF   HIS   DISCIPLES,    UPON   THE   SUBJECT    OF    HIS 
EXISTENCE  ? 

II.  HOW  DID  HE  REMOVE  THE  MORAL  HINDRANCES  OF 
THEIR  RISING  TO  THE  NEW  AND  HIGH  IDEA  WHICH  HE 
WAS   TO    COMMUNICATE   TO   THEM? 

III.  HOW   DID   HE   CONVINCE   THEIR   SENSES? 

IV.  HOW   THEIR  UNDERSTANDING? 

I.  The  first  impression  to  be  made  on  the  minds  of  the 
disciples  was,  that  the  resurrection  of  Christ  was  an  entirely 
different  one  from  that  of  the  widow's  son  at  Nain,  and  from 
that  of  Lazarus.  Such  a  resurrection,  such  a  state  of  exist- 
ence— altogether  a  common,  material,  mortal  one  —  would,  of 
course,  have  led  them  to  suppose  that  Christ  would  resume  his 
office  as  a  teacher,  a  Rabbi ;  would  have  confirmed  them  in 
the  belief,  and  justly,  that  he  intended,  after  all,  to  organize 
an  earthly  kingdom,  whatever  spiritual  conceptions  they  m*ght 
have  strove  to  entertain  respecting  it ;  and  would  have  neces- 
sarily disqualified  them  for  the  charge  they  were  about  to 
receive.  New  conversations,  new  discourses,  reproofs  and 
altercations  in  the  temple,  new  journeys  about  the  country, 
new  external  material  cures,  new  merely  sensitive  miracles 
and  wonders, —  all  this,  and  much  more,  would  have  been 
identified  with  his  return,  though  miraculous,  to  the  same 
21* 


246  THE   GREAT  EVENING. 

bodily  existence  as  before ;  and,  instead  of  raising  their  con- 
ceptions higher  ;  instead  of  exercising  their  faith,  and  awaken- 
ing their  intellect;  instead  of  spiritualizing  and  ennobling 
their  attachment  to  him,  and  their  ideas  of  his  character,  and 
their  motives  and  desires  at  large ;  and  instead  of  preparing 
them  for  the  proclamation  of  an  entirely  spiritual  kingdom, 
the  coarser  idea  of  an  external  theocracy  would  have  been 
justified  and  deepened,  and  their  dependence  upon  the  bodily 
presence  and  the  oral  instructions  of  their  Lord  confirmed ; 
while  the  operations,  the  light,  the  diverse,  quickening,  en- 
larging, purifying  influences  of  the  divine  Spirit,  and  all  "  the 
powers  of  the  world  to  come,"  would  have  remained  unknown 
to  them,  because  their  value  and  necessity  could  never  have 
been  felt.  This  is  obvious.  "It  is  expedient  for  you,"  said 
Christ,  a  short  time  before  his  sufferings,  "  that  I  go  away; 
for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you ; 
but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send  him  unto  you."  If  the  dispensa- 
tion of  symbols  and  shadows,  of  external  laws  and  precepts, 
of  earthly  promises  and  threatenings,  of  temporal  rewards  and 
punishments,  was  to  give  room  to  a  spiritual  dispensation, 
with  the  divine  law  written  on  men's  hearts,  and  not  upon 
tablets  of  stone ;  if  promises  and  threatenings,  rewards  and 
punishments,  were  to  become  all  spiritual,  eternal ;  if  the 
High  Priest  and  King  of  the  new  dispensation,  the  dispenser 
of  its  blessings,  and  executor  of  its  comminations,  was  to 
become  accessible,  not  to  the  inhabitants  of  Judea  merely,  but 
to  every  sinner  under  heaven, — not  to  one  generation  of  men, 
but  to  every  generation  to  the  end  of  time  :  then  it  is  plain 
that,  if,  indeed,  he  began  his  career  as  an  humble  Rabbi,  an 
inspired  prophet  on  earth,  he  must,  at  some  period,  wing  his 
way  to  a  state  of  existence,  to  a  degree  of  dignity  and  power, 
corresponding  to  his  offices,  and  to  his  relation  to  the  spiritual 


THE    GREAT  EVENING.  247 

and  everlasting  kingdom  in  question.  His  dispensation  could 
rise  only  with  him.  If  the  saving  principle  of  this  dispensa- 
tion was  to  be  faith,  and  not  works  (and  works  can  never 
save  !), —  if  faith  in  him  (and  Scripture  passages  without  num- 
ber almost  can  be  adduced  to  establish  this)  —  if  this  faith  in 
him  was  first  to  be  grounded  upon  rational  evidence,  and 
ultimately  upon  experience,  not  sensitive,  but  spiritual, —  then 
his  material  presence  must  have  been  withdrawn,  his  exist- 
ence must  have  become  one  of  omnipresence,  and  the  evidence 
of  unsuspicious  testimony,  so  far  as  the  nature  of  the  case 
can  admit  of  it,  must  be  provided.  His  omnipresence  is  a 
matter  of  spiritual  experience  with  every  believer ;  the  unsus- 
picious testimony  in  question  lies  before  us  in  the  records  of 
the  New  Testament.  To  prepare  his  disciples  to  bear  this 
testimony  was  the  chief  care  of  our  Lord,  after  his  resurrec- 
tion, as  we  shall  see.  During  the  remarkable  day  whose  last 
scene  we  are  now  contemplating,  a  beginning  only  could  be 
made  of  this ;  and  hence,  as  I  have  already  intimated,  this 
topic  cannot  be  finished  to-day,  but  will  be  pursued  hereafter. 
Let  us  see  how  our  Lord  began  this  great  work.  Already, 
in  his  appearance  to  Mary,  we  meet  with  the  remarkable  cir- 
cumstance that  she  did  not  recognize  her  beloved  Master, 
though  she  saw  his  form,  and  heard  his  voice.  That  she 
equally  mistook  the  angels  in  the  sepulchre  for  Joseph's  men 
is  not  so  strange,  because  she  had,  of  course,  never  seen  them 
before,  and  their  appearance  seems  to  have  been  simply  that 
of  a  couple  of  young  men.  But  Christ  she  knew,  she 
sought ;  and  yet  she  did  not  know  him  till  he  made  himself 
known.  Considering,  however,  her  state  of  mind,  I  should 
not  insist  upon  this  circumstance  alone,  if  it  did  not  recur 
time  and  again,  and  under  circumstances  which  render  it  still 
more  surprising.     In  the  afternoon  two  disciples  and  intimate 


248  THE   GREAT   EVENING. 

friends  of  Christ  go  to  Emmaus ;  he  appears  to  them ;  he 
converses  with  them ;  he  astonishes  them  with  his  profound 
knowledge  of  divine  things.  They  had  already  heard  of 
Christ's  resurrection ;  they  were  in  no  peculiar  excitement  of 
mind ;  they  conceive  a  particular  attachment  to  him,  inviting 
him  to  abide  with  them  ;  in  short,  they  hear  him,  they  listen 
to  him  with  attention ;  they  see  him,  they  look  at  him  with 
searching  interest,  no  doubt,  and  all  this  probably  for  more 
than  an  hour ;  and  yet  they  do  not  know  him,  nor  recognize 
at  all  either  his  features  or  his  voice,  until  he  makes  himself 
known.  Similar  instances  will  recur  hereafter.  Different 
were  the  cases  of  the  youth  of  Nain  and  of  Lazarus  ;  every- 
body knew  them  after  their  resurrection,  we  should  conclude. 
Again  :  he  is  no  sooner  recognized  by  the  two  pilgrims,  when 
he  vanishes  out  of  sight,  or,  literally,  "  He  becomes  invis- 
ible." Some  would  make  us  believe  that  this  passage  merely 
meant  he  quickly  retired  from  them,  so  that  they  saw  him  no 
more.  But  this  is  not  only  forcing  the  word  atyavjoz,  invis- 
ible, but  it  also  jars  against  the  whole  tenor  of  the  history  of 
Christ's  resurrection.  A  little  before,  or  after,  the  scene  of 
Emmaus,  Christ  appeared  to  Peter ;  and  this  apostle,  in  his 
usual  ardor,  immediately  calls  the  eleven  together,  and  com- 
municates to  them  the  fact.  While  they  sit,  some  doubting, 
some  wondering  and  rejoicing,  the  two  pilgrims  arrive,  and 
tell  their  tidings  of  joy.  Their  testimony,  too,  receives  but 
partial  credence ;  that  is,  some  doubted  still ;  and,  while  they 
are  yet  comparing  facts,  and  talking  to  each  other,  then,  when 
the  doors  were  shut  (John)  where  the  disciples  were  assem- 
bled, for  fear  of  the  Jews,  "came  Jesus  and  stood  in  the 
midst,  and  saith  unto  them,  'Peace  be  unto  you  ! '  "  How 
did  he  come  ?  —  Some  say  he  knocked  at  the  door,  and  they 
opened  to  him ;  others,  and  those  well-disposed  men,  say  he 


THE   GREAT   EVENING.  249 

opened  the  door  by  his  miraculous  power,  for  (and  this  is 
what  both  parties  urge,  and  it  is  all  they  urge)  it  is  not  said 
he  came  through  the  locked-up  doors,  but  simply  he  came 
while  the  doors  were  shut.  What  an  unworthy  play  with 
serious  words  !  How  can  a  man  be  said  to  come  in  while  the 
doors  are  shut,  when  these  doors  are  actually  opened  to  him, 
be  it  by  natural  or  supernatural  power?  Can  a  door  be 
called  shut  when  it  is  opened  ?  So  should  we  come  in,  the 
doors  being  shut,  if  there  be  any  doors  in  a  house ;  for  they 
are  shut,  and  often  locked,  when  we  come.  But  the  fact  is, 
when  a  locked  door  is  unlocked,  then  we  pass  through  the 
door,  it  being  open,  and  not  shut.  Why  the  apostle  did  not 
say  he  came  through  the  locked  doors,  is  obvious.  He  did 
not  know  at  all  which  way  he  came.  He  came,  and  this  is 
all  the  Evangelist  knows  and  all  he  says  about  his  coming ; 
but  he  knows,  also,  and  he  says  it,  too,  that  when  Christ 
came  the  doors  were  shut,  and  not  open.  Moreover,  the 
disciples  "  were  affrighted  and  terrified,  and  supposed  that 
they  had  seen  a  spirit."  How  was  this  possible,  or,  at  least, 
natural,  if  there  was  not  something  in  the  manner  of  his 
appearing  which  led  them  into  that  mistake  1  But  what 
could  that  have  been  ?  That  Christ  was  risen,  they  knew 
and  believed;  he  was  able,  long  before  his  resurrection,  to 
open  doors  that  were  locked,  and  they  were  abundantly  used 
to  see  him  perform  such  works,  on  proper  occasions.  But 
his  coming  in  when  the  doors  were  shut,  this  was  something 
new,  surprising  to  them,  something  which  led  them  to  think 
that  what  they  saw  was,  at  all  events,  not  flesh  and  bones. 
Again :  Christ  appeared  to  the  women, —  and  how  did  he 
know  where  they  were,  and  walked  1  How  did  he  know  the 
two  disciples  are  taking  a  walk  to  Emmaus,  and  are  going  to 
talk  "  of  all  these  things  "  ?     How  did  he  find  Peter  alone  1 


250  THE   GREAT   EVENING. 

How  did  he  know  the  apostles  are  now  assembled  in  their 
private  room  ?  Not,  indeed,  by  an  espionage  most  unworthy 
of  him ;  —  and  who  could  have  been  his  spy  ?  The  following 
impressions  must,  therefore,  have  been  made  on  the  disciples' 
minds,  though  tacitly :  His  existence  is  one  of  whose  laws 
we  have  no  conception ;  where  he  chooses  to  be,  there  he  is ; 
what  we  do,  and  think,  and  purpose,  he  knows ;  and  the  laws 
of  matter  have  no  power  over  him.  And  what  was  the  most 
natural  consequence  of  this  impression  took  place, —  they 
supposed  he  had  no  body  at  all,  but  was  pure  spirit.  But 
this  was  not  the  conclusion  he  wished  them  to  draw.  He  had 
promised  to  rise  from  the  dead ;  and  this  meant,  doubtless, 
that  his  body  should  rise, —  for  spirits  are  neither  buried,  nor 
do  they  die,  nor  do  they  rise  from  the  dead.  This  is  obvious. 
Hence  it  was  important  that  they  should  know  his  body  is 
risen,  though  the  mode  of  its  existence  be  inconceivable  ;  and 
he  gives  them  all  the  evidence  of  the  great  fact  which  the 
nature  of  the  case  admits  of.  They  see  him,  they  hear  him, 
they  touch  him  ;  the  evidence  of  three  senses  is  afforded.  He 
eats  before  them,  they  can  resist  no  longer ;  they  believe,  yea, 
they  know  and  are  convinced,  he  is  in  very  deed  risen  from 
the  dead,  whatsoever  of  the  marvellous  and  inconceivable  may 
be  connected  with  this  fact. 

II.  Whenever  objects  visible  are  not  discerned,  the  diffi- 
culty is  not  in  the  objects,  but  in  the  eye.  When  the  thrill 
of  sweet  harmony  does  not  ravish  or  the  grating  jar  distress 
us,  the  sound  was  just  what  it  was,  but  our  ears  are  dull  of 
hearing,  or  uncultivated.  Mathematical  truth  is  just  as  true 
as  ever  it  was,  though  it  may  appear  an  impenetrable  mys- 
tery to  a  whole  country,  or  world.  How  much  more,  then, 
must  divine  truth  be  the  same,  and  blameless,  though  she  be 
unheard,  unfelt  forever,  by  you  or  me  !     The  cause  why  so 


THE    GREAT   EVENING.  251 

many  misapprehensions  and  errors  prevail  in  this  world  is, 
that  there  are  infinite  degrees  of  capacity,  infinitely  diverse 
likings,  preferences,  prejudices,  etc.,  in  men.  The  things 
that  are,  are,  of  course,  the  same  to  all,  if  all  could  or  would 
see  and  perceive  alike.  The  various  causes  adduced  by 
Bacon,  which  influence  and  misguide  our  mind  in  reference  to 
intellectual  matters,  are  so  many  and  so  powerful,  that  the 
view  of  them  is  perfectly  appalling,  and  it  requires  a  deep 
sense  of  the  preciousness  of  truth,  and  a  strong  desire  to  pos- 
sess it,  if  a  man  is  still  to  engage  in  the  seemingly  hopeless 
pursuit.  But  the  dire  dilemma  is  before  him, —  think,  medi- 
tate, or  be  a  brute  —  fight  or  die, —  and  he  presses  on.  But 
what  hindrances,  do  you  think,  must  exist  in  reference  to 
things  spiritual,  religious,  and  higher  than  the  heavens, 
especially  to  a  fallen,  blind,  distracted  worm,  like  man  1  But 
the  still  more  solemn,  more  dread  dilemma  is  before  him, — 
think,  meditate,  seek  the  light  of  heaven,  or  perish,  fight,  or 
die  the  second  death.  A  few  only  of  these  causes  of  error 
we  can  notice  here  as  having  existed  in  the  disciples,  and  we 
shall  see  how  Christ  removed  them. 

They  had,  from  infancy,  imbibed  a  set  of  notions  about  the 
Messiah  and  his  kingdom,  through  which,  as  through  colored 
glasses,  they  looked  upon  every  passage  of  Holy  Writ,  and 
upon  every  parable  and  sentiment  which  their  Master  uttered 
in  their  hearing.  Not  that  he  did  not  succeed  in  improving 
and  ennobling  their  conceptions,  in  removing  some  of  the 
grosser  errors,  and  in  instilling  such  positive  truths  into  their 
minds  as  they  were  able  and  willing  to  bear.  He  certainly 
did.  But  their  old  set  of  notions  needed  to  be  plucked  up 
by  the  roots ;  and  this  was  hard,  and  required  time  and  means, 
unless  they  were  to  be  changed  by  omnipotence,  like  stones, 
which  God  never  intended  that  they  should.    Christ  improved, 


252  THE   GREAT   EVENING. 

removed,  replaced  their  notions  on  the  subject  of  his  person, 
character  and  kingdom,  during  the  three  years  of  his  so- 
journing with  them,  so  far  as  they  were  willing,  and  almost 
beyond  what  they  were  willing,  as  those  instances  of  reproof 
to  Peter,  Philip,  and  several  times  to  all  of  them,  evidently 
show.  Time  forbids  to  cite  the  passages  which,  I  hope,  are 
familiar  to  you  all.  The  remainder  of  their  system,  to  which 
they  clave  with  a  blind  tenacity  which  yielded  to  no  verbal 
instructions, —  that  was  exploded  when  their  Master  expired 
on  the  cross,  and  when  his  lifeless  corpse  was  deposited  in  the 
silent  grave.  0,  now  it  was  gone,  the  golden  dream!  It 
was  gone  !  The  whole  stupendous  framework  of  their  longed- 
for  theocracy  was  ground  to  dust.  The  spark  of  their  own 
kindling  was  crushed, —  and  who  would  kindle  it  again  ?  How 
long  they  had  been  feeding  upon  ashes,  and  building  castles 
in  the  air  !  There  they  stood,  at  their  wits'  end ;  and,  if 
heaven  and  earth  had  forsaken  them,  they  could  not  have  felt 
more  desolate,  empty,  and  deserted.  A  hard  moral  cure, 
but  an  indispensable  one,  too.  While  a  vessel  is  full,  you 
can  put  nothing  into  it ;  but  when  it  is  emptied  of  its  contents, 
then  it  may  become  the  receptacle  of  wine,  or  precious  oint- 
ment. So  they.  Tor  three  years  Christ  had  labored  with 
them ;  but  little  was  accomplished.  But  what  they  were 
unwilling  to  relinquish  the  merciful,  omnipotent  hand  of  God 
tore  away  from  them  resistlessly  and  forever,  and  that  by 
moral  means.  Now,  at  last,  they  were  as  little  children, 
ready  to  be  filled  with  divine  knowledge.  The  hard  cure  was 
rendered  necessary  by  their  stubbornness  ;  but  it  was  a  cure 
still,  and  God  was  the  physician. 

There  is  not  a  man  or  woman  among  my  readers  who  has 
not,  or  had  not,  a  preconceived  system  of  error  on  the  subject 
of  religion.     It  is  impossible  that  it  should  be  otherwise. 


THE   GREAT   EVENING.  253 

The  idiot  alone  has  none,  or  has  it  but  rarely.  Some  of 
you  may  think  that  in  some  way  or  other  all  men  will  be 
saved ;  some,  that  all  moral  men  (but  I  should  like  to  have 
you  draw  the  line,  if  you  can !)  shall  escape  ruin;  some  may 
have  taken  up  a  dead  orthodoxy  as  the  way  of  salvation ; 
some,  a  dead  philosophy,  framed  by  yourselves,  or  made  ready 
to  your  hands  by  others.  Whatsoever  it  may  be,  depend 
upon  it,  if  you  have  not  the  truth, —  that  is,  Christ  crucified, 
crucified  for  you,  and  living  in  you, —  if  you  have  not  the 
truth,  then  you  have  "  a  lie  in  your  right  hand  "  and  in  your 
hearts ;  for  you  are  sure  to  have  some  ideas  and  some  hopes 
about  you,  concerning  salvation,  be  they  what  they  may. 
Time  forbids  me  to  impugn  and  expose  all  these  errors.  I 
can  only  pray  that  the  omnipotent  hand  of  God  may  tear 
them  from  you ;  that  a  blast  from  the  Almighty  may  carry 
away,  merciless,  your  Universalism,  or  your  moralism,  or 
your  dead  orthodoxy,  or  your  dead  philosophy,  or  whatsoever 
may  be  the  perishing  foundation  of  your  delusive  hopes,  and 
the  treacherous  pillow  of  your  alarming  slumber.  0,  that 
we  might  see  the  blessed  time  when  we  could  all  come  here 
poor,  rid  of  every  old,  cherished  error,  ignorant,  empty, 
teachable  as  little  children  !  How  soon  would  Christ  step  in 
among  us,  though  our  doors  were  shut  tight,  and  our  houses 
surrounded  by  a  thousand  spies  and  foes,  and  would  say  to 
us  all,  "  Peace  be  unto  you  "  !  0,  how  soon  !  But,  while 
you  are  full  of  your  errors,  whatsoever  they  may  be,  I  ask, 
and  you  answer  me  now  honestly,  how  can  you  expect  to 
receive  the  truth,  or  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God  ? 
It  is  impossible,  it  is  inconceivable,  it  is  hopeless,  while  the 
laws  of  your  minds  remain  as  they  are. 

2.  Want  of  thought,  retirement,  reflection,  and  meditation 
before  God,  was  another  difficulty  of  the  disciples.     With  the 
22 


254  THE    GREAT    EVENING. 

exception  of  Nathaniel  and  John,  I  am  not  able  to  discover  in 
either  of  them  any  traces  of  deeper  habitual  meditation, 
during  the  three  years  of  Christ's  intercourse  with  them. 
Christ,  you  remember,  led  them  into  the  wilderness  once,  and 
probably  as  often  as  they  would  follow ;  but  generally  they 
suffered  him  to  retire  alone,  and  kept  among  the  people,  about 
their  external  duties.  An  honest  and  single-hearted  perform- 
ance of  external  religious  duties,  general  serious-mindedness, 
openness  to  truth  to  some  extent,  a  desire  for  better  times 
and  better  hearts,  and  a  very  lovely  and  praiseworthy  attach- 
ment to  their  dear  Master,  is  all  that  I  can  discover  through- 
out the  four  Gospels.  How  often  did  they  question  him  pri- 
vately about  the  most  easy  parables  and  sentiments,  and  ask 
what  they  meant !  And  Christ  reproved  them  on  these  occa- 
sions several  times,  for  their  want  of  reflection. 

Little  time  as  I  have  for  digressions  in  the  present  dis- 
course, I  cannot  let  this  opportunity  pass  by  without  pointing 
my  hearers  to  that  thing  diffused  as  the  atmosphere,  which 
brings  a  blot  both  upon  the  heart  and  intellect  of  men,  and 
works  the  effectual  ruin  of  the  mass  of  sinners, —  I  mean, 
thoughtlessness  on  divine  subjects.  How  many  a  great 
man  has  reflected  on  almost  every  imaginable  subject,  save 
religion  !  What  a  vast  mass,  what  an  ocean  of  mind,  is  there 
in  restless  motion  on  the  stage  of  this  present  life,  from  gen- 
eration to  generation ;  and  yet  how  deplorably  little  reflection 
productive  of  proper  results  do  we  find  in  this  universal  fer- 
ment of  thought,  research  and  pursuit!  The  scholar  is 
absorbed  in  his  scientific  or  literary  pursuits ;  the  statesman, 
the  military  men  by  land  and  by  sea,  are  filled  with  the 
importance  of  their  callings,  and  give  their  undivided  mental 
and  moral  strength  to  them.  The  artist  lives  to  the  beauties 
of  his  darling  muse ;  the  manufacturer  is  constantly  on  the 


THE   GREAT   EVENING.  255 

stretch  for  improvements;  the  mechanic  and  the  farmer 
bestow  every  thought  they  have  upon  the  means  of  rising  to 
an  honorable  standing  among  their  equals,  and  upon  the 
acquisition  of  wealth  and  independence.  But,  tell  me,  how 
many  of  them  are  in  the  habit  of  a  'prayerful  contemjilation 
of  eternity,  or  care  half  as  much  for  the  knowledge  of  God 
as  for  skill  and  success  in  their  secular  avocations.  They  rise 
up,  they  go  to  eating,  to  work,  to  reading,  to  meals  again,  to 
rest,  to  diversions  and  walks,  to  evening  parties,  and  to  sleep. 
It  is  one  rolling  chain  of  worldly  pursuits  and  indulgences, 
from  year  to  year,  till  death  comes  and  closes  the  accounts ; 
their  thoughts  are  anywhere  but  in  their  closets ;  away  they 
go,  like  the  fool's  eyes,  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  0,  what  a 
low,  mean,  daring,  alarming  wallowing  in  the  mire  of  this 
world !  Lift  up  your  countenance,  immortal  man !  There 
is  a  God  in  heaven,  and  you  are  living  for  eternity !  Lift  it 
up,  lest  you  perish  in  the  pursuit  of  fleeting  shadows !  Why 
will  you  perish  under  the  open  window  of  heaven  ?  But  let 
me  ask  you  here  (for  I  am  preaching  to  you,  and  not  to  the 
people  in  China),  and  answer  me  now  before  God,  the 
Searcher  of  hearts,  Where  is  your  hour  of  contemplation,  and 
when  do  you  shut  out  the  world  from  your  solitary  closet,  to 
soar  up  to  the  footsteps  of  the  judgment-seat  and  to  the 
threshold  of  heaven,  or  to  descend  to  the  gates  of  hell,  to 
contemplate  the  wages  of  sin,  and  to  rouse  your  slumbering 
soul  to  a  sense  of  your  stupendous  responsibility  1  Where 
is  it,  that  hour,  that  eventful  one,  out  of  the  twenty-four  ? 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  charge  the  disciples  of  Christ  with 
that  kind  and  degree  of  inconsideration  wThich  I  have  just 
been  reproving.  No.  Still,  there  was  something  like  it  in 
them,  and  sufficient  of  it,  too,  to  throw  a  thick  veil  over  the 
kingdom  and  plan  of  Christ.     Christ  removed  it  by  driving 


256  THE   GREAT  EVENING. 

them  to  their  closets,  and  to  solitude.  Since  Thursday  even- 
ing, they  were  scattered,  hidden,  forsaken,  alone.  There 
was  time  for  reflection  and  thought ;  and  many  a  thoughtful, 
tearful  look,  they  may  have  sent  up  to  heaven.  There  is  a 
deeper  tone  of  thought  perceptible  among  them  throughout, 
from  the  two  pilgrims  to  John  and  Peter.  They  are  stiller. 
more  tender,  more  pensive,  and  every  way  more  fit  for  the 
higher  ideal  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  "  Go  ye,  and  do 
likewise !  " 

3.  These,  and  many  other  circumstances,  rendered  them 
insensible  of  their  need  of  divine  light,  to  understand  divine 
subjects.  Thus,  to  the  present  day,  "the  deep  things  of 
God  "  necessarily  remain  involved,  to  every  unconverted  man, 
in  that  haze  which  makes  them  foolishness,  till  the  light  of 
heaven  beams  upon  his  soul.  Their  case  and  ours,  in  the 
same  frame  of  mind,  are  alike.  But  now,  their  minds  being 
prepared  for  the  reception  of  a  higher  illumination,  Christ 
removes  the  darkness  from  their  minds,  by  opening  "  their 
understanding,  that  they  might  understand  the  Scriptures," 
as  he  had  done  to  the  two  disciples  walking  to  Emmaus. 

III.  Upon  our  third  topic  we  have  already  touched  inci- 
dentally. After  the  testimony  of  Peter,  and  of  Cleopas  and 
his  companion,  most  of  them  could  no  more  doubt  the  fact 
that  the  Lord  was  risen.  By  the  mouth  of  two  and  of  three 
witnesses  this  matter  was  properly  established,  seeing  the 
witnesses  were  in  their  right  minds,  and  had  no  interest  in 
telling  a  falsehood ;  that  is,  they  were  obviously  able  and 
willing  to  tell  the  truth.  More  than  this  no  bar  of  justice 
can  demand,  nor  does  demand  at  present.  But  (for  purposes 
which  will  become  clear  to  us  before  closing  this  Meditation) 
Jesus  had  concluded  to  show  himself  to  them  all,  this  very 
evening.     The  manner  of  his  appearing,  you  know.     This 


THE    GREAT   EVENING.  257 

was,  however,  calculated,  while  it  convinced  them  still  further 
of  the  exalted  nature  of  his  existence,  to  throw  them  into 
doubts  as  to  the  real  resurrection  of  his  body.  These  new 
doubts  were  overcome  by  new  and  accumulated  proofs  of  his 
real  bodily  resurrection  from  the  dead ;  that  is,  of  his  resur- 
rection itself,  for  there  is  no  resurrection  conceivable,  save 
that  of  bodies.  He  showed  unto  them  his  hands,'  his  feet,  and 
his  side,  to  convince  them  of  two  facts  at  a  time :  first,  that 
he  had  flesh  and  bones,  that  he  was  no  mere  spirit ;  and, 
second,  that  what  they  saw  and  handled  was  his  own  body, 
the  same  one  which  had  been  crucified  three  days  ago,  and 
thrust  through  with  the  spear  of  a  Roman  soldier. 

Joy  now  filled  their  hearts.  But  the  idea  to  have  him 
again  was  so  great,  so  unexpected  a  one,  that  they  could,  on 
that  very  account,  hardly  believe  even  their  senses.  Calmly 
he  asks  for  some  meat,  sits  down  and  eats  before  them  all. 
Now  joy  and  conviction  unite,  and  they  gather  around  him 
to  enjoy  the  blessed  privilege  of  his  presence. 

IV.  The  evidence  of  sense,  however,  loses  its  power  in 
proportion  to  the  perturbation  of  mind  and  the  excitement 
of  feeling  in  those  who  are  to  bear  witness ;  that  is,  in  pro- 
portion as  the  witnesses  to  be  heard  were  deprived  of  the 
calm  use  of  their  understanding  and  cool  judgment,  at  the 
time  when  they  pretended  to  have  been  witnesses  of  the  facts 
to  be  attested.  The  good  sense  of  the  apostles  and  the  other 
disciples  led  them  to  recognize,  themselves,  this  principle, 
during  the  scenes  of  the  day.  Angels  had  appeared  to  the 
women,  and  Christ  had  appeared  to  some  of  them,  and  both 
had  given  them  charges  and  messages  to  the  disciples,  and 
the  brethren  of  our  Lord ;  but  still  they  doubted  —  their 
minds  remained  suspended.  This  they  carried  rather  too 
far,  and  some  seem  to  have  altogether  rejected  the  testimony 
22* 


258  THE   GREAT   EVENING. 

of  the  pious  sisters,  which  they  ought  not  to  have  done.  But 
they  erred  on  the  safe  side  in  this  instance,  and  their  fault 
was  kindly  reproved  and  forgiven.  Let  us  now  review  the 
events  of  this  day  in  reference  to  our  present  topic,  that  we 
may  get  a  full  impression  of  the  harmony  and  wisdom  of  its 
plan.  Everywhere  the  evidence  ,of  sense  mingled  with  moral 
instruction,  wakening  thought  and  self-examination,  and  call- 
ing into  exercise  every  faculty  of  mind  and  heart ;  and  all 
this  mingled  in  divers  proportions,  according  to  the  various 
exigences  of  the  respective  cases. 

In  the  morning,  the  slumbering  hopes  of  the  whole  band 
of  disciples,  believers  and  inquirers,  were  waked  by  a  moral 
shock.  Women  were  at  the  sepulchre,  saw  angels,  saw  the 
Lord,  and  are  bringing  tidings  from  both.  Peter  and  John 
run  there,  but  see  nothing.  All  this  had  its  obvious  and 
wise  purpose.  The  women  receive  the  first  sensible  demon- 
stration of  the  Lord's  resurrection, —  and  who  would  not  be 
glad  to  grant  that  support  to  their  distressed  hearts  and  their 
comparatively  feeble  intellect  ?  Still,  where  angels  appear,  a 
wise  economy  is  practised,  and  a  worthy  purpose  is  percepti- 
ble. They  have  an  important  charge  to  deliver.  The  charge 
of  the  angels  is  important ;  yet  it  keeps  within  bounds,  does 
not  supersede  what  the  Lord  himself  has  to  say,  and  the 
words  are  few,  and,  few  as  they  are,  they  are  still  calculated 
and  intended  to  awaken  a  train  of  useful  and  sacred  reflection 
in  the  hearts  even  of  the  women.  The  appearance  of  Christ 
to  Mary  we  have  too  fully  contemplated  already,  to  say  much 
more.  Only  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  flow  of  her  feel- 
ings was  wisely  checked,  and  thoughts  of  the  most  elevated 
nature  were  touched  like  the  chords  of  a  harp.  All  this 
was  sufficient  for  the  females ;  for  they  were  never  intended 
to  become  public  witnesses  of  Christ's  resurrection,  and  their 


THE   GREAT   EVENING.  259 

meeting  him  is  nowhere  adduced  as  a  proof  of  his  having 
risen  from  the  dead.  But  the  disciples,  on  the  contrary,  who, 
being  the  appointed  witnesses  of  this  great  fact,  were  intended 
to  be  profoundly  convinced,  are  in  the  mean  time  left  to  re- 
flection and  consultation ;  and  their  minds,  you  may  easily 
imagine,  were  powerfully  exercised,  all  the  day  long.  How 
could  they  help  comparing  Scripture,  and  recalling  our  Lord's 
sayings  1  How  should  they  not  have  kneeled  down  together 
and  prayed  for  light  from  heaven  ? 

But  all  remained  still  and  breathless  till  evening.  The 
first  excitement  passes  away ;  their  feelings  settle  towards 
evening  rather  into  the  apprehension  that  all  may  be  the 
effect  of  imagination.  True,  neither  Joseph  of  Arimathea, 
nor  anybody  else,  knew  where  the  body  had  been  carried, 
and  that  this  was  passing  strange  could  not  be  denied.  Two 
men  travel  to  Emmaus ;  Christ  appears  to  them,  purposely 
concealing  himself  until  their  minds  are  enlightened,  their 
thoughts  awakened,  and  their  understanding  stored  with  divine 
knowledge ;  then  their  eyes  are  opened,  and  he  vanishes  out 
of  sight.  As  the  evening  sets  in,  another  electric  shock 
wakes  the  disciples,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they  are  assembled 
in  their  private  room,  the  doors  shut.  The  Lord  hath 
appeared  unto  Peter, —  Peter,  the  sound,  fearless  man !  The 
matter  is  discussed.  Peter  assures  them  of  the  fact,  and 
relates  the  circumstances.  Some  believe  and  rejoice,  some 
doubt.  It  is  already  getting  somewhat  late,  when  somebody 
knocks  at  the  door  hastily.  u  Who  is  it?  who  is  there?" 
"  We  are  here, —  Cleopas  is  here,"  they  whisper  without. 
"  Why,  we  thought  you  gone  to  Emmaus."  "  No  matter; 
open  the  door, —  we  bring  good  and  glorious  news."  To  appre- 
hend their  tidings  was  not  difficult.  But  those  who  believed 
Peter  exclaim,  as  they  enter,  "  The  Lord  hath  risen  indeed, 


260  THE   GREAT  EVENING. 

and  hath  appeared  unto  Peter."  They  sit  down,  and,  half 
out  of  breath,  tell  their  story.  New  astonishment,  new  dis- 
cussion, new  rejoicings,  new  doubts.  The  doors  are  shut 
again,  of  course.  All  at  once,  Christ  stands  in  the  midst  of 
them.  "  Peace  be  unto  you  !  "  Though  much  surprised  by 
the  extraordinary  manner  of  his  appearing,  they  are  now  suf- 
ficiently prepared  for  such  a  scene  to  remain  masters  of  them- 
selves. The  gentle  rebuke  of  Christ,  of  which  Mark  speaks 
(16  :  14),  makes  them  ashamed  of  their  obstinate  doubts ;  his 
plain  appearance,  his  accustomed  affectionate  address,  his 
calmness,  remove  every  remainder  of  excitement,  and  they 
are  now  perfectly  able  to  judge  of  what  they  see,  and  hear, 
and  handle.  They  see  the  print  of  the  nails,  the  scar  made 
by  the  spear,  they  feel  flesh  and  bones,  they  hear  the  accus- 
tomed voice ;  he  eats  of  their  food,  and,  when  all  perturbation 
has  subsided,  he  gathers  them  around  him  in  the  way  he  was 
wont  to  do :  and,  while  he  expounds  unto  them  the  Scriptures, 
from  Moses  and  onward,  they  feel  themselves  filled  with 
heavenly  comfort ;  new  views  burst  upon  them,  new  feelings 
flow  from  heart  to  heart.  All  is  ease  and  peace,  calmness 
and  undying  reality,  about  them;  and  a  conviction,  resting 
upon  external  and  internal  experience,  is  settling  deeply  in 
their  minds,  for  which  they  may  well  have  been  ready  to  lay 
down  their  lives.  Exciting  reports  opened  the  day  ;  reflection 
and  consultation  and  prayer  succeeded;  accumulating  and 
more  unquestionable  testimony  came  in  the  evening ;  the  evi- 
dence of  sense  followed;  calm  instruction  and  a  retrospect 
upon  the  life  and  the  predictions  of  Christ,  and  upon  the  Law 
and  the  Prophets,  closed  the  day ;  and  everything  was  shining 
in  the  substantial  light  of  a  better  world,  free  from  the 
refractions  of  the  fallen  reason  and  the  corrupt  heart  of  the 
natural  man.     If  ever  sober  and  unquestionable  experience 


THE   GREAT  EVENING.  261 

substantiated  a  fact,  it  is  the  fact  before  us.  But  of  all  this 
more  hereafter. 

Christ  prepares  to  take  his  leave  for  this  time.  One  thing 
remained  to  be  done.  The  moral  distance  between  him  and 
them  seems  so  immense  now,  that  they  doubt  whether  they 
may  hope  to  sustain  to  their  exalted  Master  the  intimate  rela- 
tion of  apostles  any  longer.  Yes,  they  may,  they  shall. 
"  Peace  be  unto  you,"  says  Jesus  to  them  again,  before  part- 
ing; "as  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you." 
Then  breathing  upon  them,  he  saith :  "  Receive  the  Holy 
Spirit,  the  unfailing  guide.  Whatsoever  ye  do,  guided  by 
Him,  is  ratified  in  heaven.  Repentance  and  remission  of  sin 
must  be  preached  among  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem. 
And  ye  are  and  shall  be  my  witnesses  of  these  things." 

Thus  ended  the  great  day  which  brought  life  and  immor- 
tality to  light. 

Our  subject  to-day  is  rich  in  practical  matter,  and  numer- 
ous profitable  remarks  might  now  close  this  discourse.  But 
our  time  is  expired,  and  the  application  of  this  great  subject 
I  have  reserved  for  some  future  opportunity.  But,  as  I  have 
been  obliged  to  say  some  things  seemingly  or  really  to  the 
discredit  of  the  apostles,  let  me  now  do  them  justice,  in  clos- 
ing, by  adverting  to  the  fulness  and  beauty  with  which,  at 
the  close  of  this  day,  their  Christian  characters  came  out  of 
the  trying  furnace  of  fire.  They  exhibit  an  evidence  of  piety 
as  perfectly  conclusive  as  it  could  have  been.  We  leave  them 
in  their  poor,  narrow  chamber,  a  little,  feeble  flock,  but  full 
of  joy  and  gladness.  What  has  happened  to  them  ?  what 
change  has  taken  place  in  their  situation  ?  Have  they  been 
made  rich,  great,  famous,  formidable  to  their  enemies  ? 
—  Nothing  of  all  this.  Has  their  Lord  brought  them  the 
promise,  that  henceforth  they  shall  live  in  sweet  retirement, 


262  THE   GREAT   EVENING. 

and  ease,  and  safety,  and  that  their  late  troubles  were  the  last 
ones  they  should  ever  see  ?  Nothing  like  it.  Now,  indeed, 
their  labors  and  sufferings,  their  persecutions  and  wrongs,  the 
contempt  and  curse  of  the  world,  were  to  commence.  Their 
late  distress  was  "but  the  beginning  of  sorrows."  What, 
then,  are  they  so  glad  about?  Christ  has  appeared  unto 
them.  Here  is  the  all-sufficient  source  of  their  joy,  in  spite 
of  a  world  of  enemies,  and  a  life  of  toil  and  sufferings.  When 
they  wept,  they  wept  for  him  ;  and  when  they  rejoiced,  they 
rejoiced  in  him.  When  he  came,  he  brought  them  no  earthly 
good;  but  he  brought  them  his  "  peace,"  and  this  was 
enough. 

0,  that  we,  too,  might  shed  no  tears  of  longing,  but  those 
for  him ;  nor  rejoice,  save  when  he  draws  near  !  Thus  our 
sorrows  and  our  joys  would  be  equally  proofs  of  our  piety  and 
sources  of  profit  and  comfort  to  our  souls.  Woe  to  the  mis- 
erable man  that  weeps  for  dust,  or  finds  satisfaction  in  carnal 
delight  and  worldly  pleasures  !  0,  that  God,  with  whom  is 
the  residue  of  the  spirit,  might  visit  us,  that  whether  we  sor- 
row or  rejoice,  whether  we  live  or  die,  we  may  have  Jesus 
near,  saying,  "  Peace  be  unto  you"  !     Amen  ! 


XIII. 

THOMAS'   CONVERSION. 

But  Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve,  called  Didymus,  was  not  with  them  when 
Jesus  came.  The  other  disciples,  therefore,  said  unto  him,  We  have  seen 
the  Lord.  But  he  said  unto  them,  Except  I  shall  see  in  his  hands  the  print 
of  the  nails,  and  put  my  finger  into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  thrust  my 
hand  into  his  side,  I  will  not  believe.  And  after  eight  days,  again  his  dis- 
ciples were  within,  and  Thomas  with  them.  Then  came  Jesus,  the  doors 
being  shut,  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said,  Peace  be  unto  you.  Then 
saith  he  to  Thomas,  Reach  hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my  hands  ;  and 
reach  hither  thy  hand,  and  thrust  it  into  my  side  :  and  be  not  faithless, 
but  believing.  And  Thomas  answered  and  said  unto  him,  My  Lord  and 
my  God.  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Thomas,  because  thou  hast  seen  me,  thou 
hast  believed  :  blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed. 
—  John  20  :  24—29. 

Now  there  was  but  one  profound  conviction  prevailing 
among  the  disciples  of  Christ, —  that  he  was  alive  again,  with 
soul  and  body  united ;  that  the  plan  of  his  kingdom  was  by 
no  means  given  up ;  that  the  mode  of  his  existence  was  a 
high,  incomprehensible  one,  fully  answering  to  the  spirituality 
and  the  universality  of  his  kingdom  ;  and  that  all  the  events 
which  had  perplexed  them  so  much,  since  his  death  and  burial, 
were  but  so  many  links  in  the  chain  of  a  divine  plan, —  a 
plan  predicted  through  the  course  of  more  than  four  thousand 
years,  and  leading,  with  unfailing  certainty,  to  the  salva- 
tion of  a  perishing  world,  and  the  consummation  of  all  things 


264  THOMAS'    CONVERSION. 

This  conviction,  as  we  have  seen  in  our  last  Meditation,  was 
reared  upon  the  deep  foundation  of  sensitive,  intellectual,  and 
moral  evidence,  on  the  testimony  of  Scripture,  and  on  the 
enlightening  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  the  testimony 
borne  upon  the  strength  of  this  conviction  must  needs  possess 
all  that  the  most  scrupulous  judge  could  demand,  in  point  of 
demonstration,  and  much  more. 

Thomas  alone  was  excepted  from  the  happy  number  of 
those  who  rejoiced  in  a  risen  Saviour.  "  Clouds  and  dark- 
ness "  remained  still  brooding  over  his  mind  ;  and  while  the 
rest  enjoyed  the  unwavering  conviction  of  delightful  and 
interesting  present  realities,  and  the  sure  expectation  of 
things  to  come  which  were  altogether  too  vast  and  too 
precious  fully  to  be  realized,  his  mind  was  tossed  through  the 
space  of  a  whole  week  more  with  the  tempest  of  a  thousand 
obstinate  and  distressing  doubts.  This  was  the  deserved 
natural  consequence  of  his  own  faulty  conduct,  but  overruled 
by  an  all-wise  Providence,  for  purposes  of  the  highest  interest 
and  importance,  as,  I  trust,  the  sequel  of  this  Meditation  will 
show. 

There  are  many  moral  elements  contained  in  the  general 
subject  of  our  text,  upon  each  of  which  we  might  dwell  with 
profit,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  the  rest.  But  I  must  dismiss 
all  abstract  matter,  and  direct  your  whole  attention  to  the 
various  features  of  the  history  itself.  I  am  somewhat  embar- 
rassed how  to  divide  my  subject, —  if  a  division  be  required, 
—  so  as  to  pursue  my  main  purpose  with  consistency  and 
advantage.  Christ  must  again  be  the  centre  of  our  Medita- 
tion ;  this  is  plain.  And,  still,  the  apostle  whose  name 
stands  prominent  in  our  text  must  needs  engage  our  close 
attention,  if  we  are  to  appreciate  the  conduct  of  our  Lord ; 
and  the  other  apostles,  also,  evidently  claim  their  share  of 


265 


consideration,  without  which  the  whole  can  and  will  yield  us 
no  mature  fruit,  no  clear  perception,  no  deep  impression. 

Let  us  endeavor  to  embody  the  whole  of  what  is  essential 
to  our  purpose  under  the  following  two  heads,  namely  : 

I.  The  mind  and  conduct  of  Thomas. 

II.  The  purpose  and  conduct  of  our  Lord. 

I.  Thomas  was  one  of  that  class  of  men  whose  minds  are 
made  up  slowly,  though  firmly;  who  are  more  liable  to  fall 
into  scepticism  than  into  superstition ;  who  are  exposed  to  the 
delusions  of  self-confidence,  but  who  are  sober  and  free  from 
extremes,  and  persevering  with  peculiar  equanimity  where  their 
conviction  is  properly  matured.  I  know  that  diametrically  op- 
posite views  have  been  and  are  taken  of  his  character ;  whether 
with  propriety,  my  hearers  shall  judge  when  I  shall  have 
expressed  my  own  conviction  on  the  subject.  Unlike  Peter, 
whose  natural  tendency  to  extremes  is  acknowledged  on  all 
hands,  he  joined  the  small  band  of  disciples  in  a  manner  and 
with  an  exterior  which  deprived  him  of  every  kind  and  degree 
of  prominence  or  distinction.  For  the  space  of  near  three 
years,  nothing  but  his  bare  name  is  thought  worthy  of  men- 
tion. Yet  that  he  was  a  proper  subject  for  admission  to  the 
number  of  apostles  Christ  himself  is  our  warrant ;  and  that 
his  religious  conviction  was  ripening,  and  his  Christian  and 
apostolic  character  developing  itself,  during  that  whole  period, 
is  clear  even  from  what  little  we  are  told  of  him  in  the  Gos- 
pels, and  is  confirmed  by  his  apostolic  career,  transmitted  to 
us  through  the  medium  of  history. 

In  company  with  the  other  apostles,  Thomas  has  often  been 
charged  with  expecting  a  temporal  reign  of  the  Messiah, — 
that  is,  a  common  earthly  reign,  only  more  powerful,  splendid 
and  luxurious,  more  successful  in  battle,  more  destructive  to 
its  enemies,  than  the  reigns  of  other  monarchs.  This  charge 
23 


266  THOMAS'    CONVERSION. 

has  no  foundation  in  Holy  Writ.  It  is  on  this  very  point  that 
the  apostles  must  have  differed,  either  positively  or  negatively, 
from  the  epicurean  Sadducees,  the  egoistic  Pharisees,  and  the 
thoughtless  multitude  ;  and  it  is  on  this  very  principle  —  if 
any  principle  was  taken  into  the  account  —  that  Christ  must 
have  selected  them  in  preference  to  a  thousand  other  Jews, 
more  learned,  more  skilled  in  thought  and  reflection,  more 
eloquent,  more  influential,  and  in  every  respect  more  fit  for 
the  execution  of  his  great  plan.  God  despises  no  natural 
talents,  no  acquired  abilities  ;  but  at  the  heart  he  looks  first, 
and  nothing  will  make  up  for  the  settled  perverseness  of 
that. 

Thomas'  expectation  of  the  Messiah's  reign  was  a  kind  of 
heaven  on  earth ;  a  notion  which  you  may  easily  infer  by  a 
too  literal  construction  of  some  familiar  and  beautiful  passages 
in  the  prophets,  the  spirituality  of  which  neither  Thomas  nor 
the  other  apostles  were  prepared  to  appreciate.  The  Messiah 
will  come,  supreme,  in  wisdom,  holiness,  love  and  power ;  the 
wayward  heart  of  Israel  will  be  changed,  their  sins  purged  ; 
soon  the  heathen  nations  will  submit,  and  idolatry  will  be  no 
more ;  in  their  tender  and  grateful  regard  for  the  suffering 
people  of  God,  the  heathen  will  forthwith  liberate  and  honor 
them,  and  return  them  to  the  land  of  their  fathers,  where  they 
will  dwell  in  perfect  prosperity,  harmony,  and  holy  peace,  with 
their  king  (on  whose  nature  and  character,  human  or  divine, 
their  notions  were  ever  divided,  floating  and  indistinct), —  with 
their  king  enthroned  at  Jerusalem,  and  wrapt  in  a  sacred  and 
mysterious  cloud.  This  idea  is  very  much  like  the  sentiments 
and  expectations  of  some  good  people  of  the  present  day,  par- 
ticularly in  England.  By  the  same  mistake  they  come  to  the 
same  result ;  and  their  tracts  and  sermons,  and  other  works,  have 
in  this  relation  a  high  degree  of  interest  to  the  church  historian 


THOMAS'    CONVERSION.  267 

and  the  theologian.  Only  this  important  difference  subsists 
between  the  two  parties, —  that,  at  the  time  of  the  apostles, 
such  views  were  not  only  excusable,  but  almost  unavoidable, 
which  is  a  great  deal  more  than  I  should  undertake  to  plead 
for  those  who  hold  similar  views  at  the  present  day.  There 
was  too  little  yet  fulfilled  to  tell  the  apostles  what  degree  of 
spirituality  the  kingdom  of  heaven  would  assume,  and  how 
far  they  should  carry  the  solution  of  earthly  figures  of  speech 
into  heavenly  realities,  when  reading  and  explaining  the 
lively  oracles  of  God. 

But,  to  prepare  you  to  appreciate  fully  the  mind  of  Thomas, 
I  must  remind  you  of  another,  and,  indeed,  the  chief  mistake, 
which  he  shared  with  all  the  other  followers  of  Christ, —  a 
mistake  to  which  I  have  already  alluded  on  former  occasions. 
I  refer  to  the  one  under  which  they  labored  as  to  the  manner 
in  which  the  kingdom  of  God  was  to  come.  They  knew 
nothing  of  Gethsemane,  Calvary,  the  cross,  the  silent  grave, 
the  short  triumph  of  the  wicked,  the  path  of  faith,  self-denial, 
the  mortification  of  every  earth-born  desire.  About  the  close 
of  the  third  year,  Thomas  seems  to  have  entertained  this  con- 
viction :  "  Yes,  he  is  the  Messiah ;  if  he  is  not  the  one,  no  one 
will  ever  come."  This  throws  light  upon  a  passage  not  easily 
understood  otherwise.  About  that  time  Lazarus  became 
dangerously  ill.  His  sisters  send  to  Christ,  to  request  his 
speedy  visit  and  help.  Christ  delays,  in  order  to  prepare  the 
way  for  that  trial  of  faith  and  for  that  exhibition  of  his  sov- 
ereign power  which  distinguished  the  dwelling  and  the  sepul- 
chre of  his  pious  friend  at  Bethany,  and  of  which  Spinoza 
himself  confessed,  if  he  could  believe  it,  it  would  overturn  the 
whole  fabric  of  his  truly  admirable  system  of  speculation. 
At  last,  Christ  prepares  to  go  to  Bethany.  This  undertaking 
was  in  the  highest  degree  perilous.  —  "Master,  the  Jews  of 


268 


late  sought  to  stone  thee;  and  goest  thou  thither  again  ? " 
So  his  disciples.  To  which  our  Lord  replies  in  words  not  of 
a  double  sense  (for  to  that  our  critics  object),  but  in  words 
of  a  thousand-fold  sense.  M  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in 
a  day?  If  any  man  walk  in  the  day,  he  stumbleth  not, 
because  he  seeth  the  light  of  this  world.  But  if  a  man  walk 
in  the  night,  he  stumbleth,  because  there  is  no  light  in  him. 
These  things  he  said,  and  after  that  he  saith  unto  them :  Our 
friend  Lazarus  sleepeth ;  but  I  go  that  I  may  awake  him  out 
of  sleep.  Then  said  the  disciples,  Lord,  if  he  sleep,  he 
shall  do  well."  "  Then  said  Jesus  Unto  them  plainly,  Laza- 
rus is  dead.  And  I  am  glad  for  your  sakes  that  I  was  not 
there,  to  the  intent  that  ye  may  believe ;  nevertheless,  let  us 
go  unto  him.'''  Do  you  understand  all  this  1  —  But  we  return 
to  Thomas. 

He  was  satisfied,  on  the  one  hand,  this  is  the  Messiah ;  and, 
on  the  other,  if  he  goes  up  to  Judea,  he  is  a  dead  man :  and 
it  was  the  utterance  of  his  deep  feelings  when  he  turned  to 
his  fellow-disciples,  and  said,  "  Let  us  also  go,  and  die  with 
him  ;  "  —  that  is,  if  he  goes  up,  he  is  undone ;  but  if  he  is  no 
more,  the  hope  of  Israel  is  gone,  every  tie  of  higher  interest 
which  binds  us  to  this  world  is  cut,  and  we  may  as  well  die 
with  him.  Thus  this  passage  becomes  clear,  and  serves  to 
cast  a  deeply  interesting  light  upon  the  religious  state  of 
Thomas'  mind  at  that  time.  Christ,  however,  survived,  and 
the  hopes  of  our  apostle  were,  of  course,  heightened  and  con- 
firmed ;  and  on  the  solemn  entrance  of  Christ  into  Jerusalem, 
the  hosanna  of  Thomas  was,  if  not  the  loudest,  at  least  as 
deeply  felt  as  any  other.  And  now,  put  yourselves  into  his 
frame  of  mind,  and  then  go  through  the  scenes  of  Gethsem- 
ane  and  Calvary,  and  be  told  of  the  burial  of  Christ,  and  you 
will  be  able  in  some  degree  to  realize  the  utter  and  dreadful 


THOMAS'    CONVERSION.  269 

disappointment  which  this  man  experienced.  Away  he  fled 
from  all  society ;  everything,  even  pious  sympathy,  conversa- 
tion, and  social  prayer,  had  lost  their  charms,  and  a  gloomy 
solitude  seemed  the  most  eligible,  and,  to  his  feelings,  the 
most  consonant  place  in  the  world.  Ministering  spirits 
and  Christ  himself  appear  to  the  women  at  the  sepulchre, 
but  this  has  no  influence  with  him.  Obstinately  he  with- 
draws from  the  rest  of  the  disciples,  and  returns  not  till  late, 
till  all  the  glories  of  the  resurrection  day  are  over.  Then 
he  returns  home.  He  sees  all  countenances  beaming  with 
joy.  A  painful  contrast  to  the  state  of  his  own  mind.  "  The 
Lord  is  risen,  and  has  appeared  to  the  sisters,  unto  Peter,  to 
Cleopas  and  his  companion,  and  to  us  all  in  this  very  room  this 
evening!"  So  they.  "Indeed,"  he  replies,  smiling  sadly 
at  their  credulity,  "  have  you  Seen  him  ?  "  "Yes,  and  we  have 
seen  the  print  of  the  nails  in  his  hands  and  his  feet,  and  the 
wound  in  his  side.  It  was  him  we  saw."  "  Ah,  you  have 
seen  him,  and  merely  seen  ;  and  you  may  have  seen  a  phan- 
tom. You  ought  to  have  touched  him,  and  examined  the 
matter  well."  "  How  could  we  dare  do  that  ? —  but  we  all  saw 
him,  and  clearly.  It  was  him  !  "  Whereupon,  fearless  of 
everything,  save  a  new  delusion,  Thomas  makes  the  daring 
reply :  "  Except  I  too  shall  see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the 
nails ;  and  not  that  only,  but  put  my  very  finger  into  the 
print  of  the  nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  his  side,  I  will 
not  believe." 

Poor  Thomas  !  If  Christ  was  morally  and  physically 
capable  of  deceiving  one  sense,  why  could  he  not  as  well 
deceive  all  five  senses  ?  That  the  veracity  of  Christ  was  to 
be  taken  into  the  account  of  the  evidence  did  not  occur  to 
Thomas,  nor  did  he  feel  the  impropriety  of  such  a  shocking 
course  of  mistrust  as  he  had  proposed  to  himself.  Thus  the 
23* 


272  THOMAS'    CONVERSION. 

tion,  and  remember  the  drift  of  my  remarks  then  made,  need 
but  a  word  in  order  to  recollect  what  was  the  main  purpose 
of  Christ  in  all  his  appearances  to  his  disciples  after  his 
resurrection.  It  was  this,  namely :  to  prepare  them  for  their 
great  work  by  giving  them  a  sensitive,  rational  and  moral 
conviction,  not  only  of  the  real  resurrection  of  his  body  from 
the  dead,  but  also  of  the  exalted  nature  of  his  existence,  and 
its  perfect  adaptation  to  the  nature  and  extent  of  his  kingdom. 
We  have  seen,  in  several  successive  discourses,  how  our  Lord 
treated  Mary  Magdalene  and  the  other  women,  the  two  disci- 
ples walking  to  Emmaus,  and  the  eleven  assembled  together ; 
and  how  admirably  he  adapted  his  conduct  to  the  different 
states  of  their  respective  minds,  always  aiming,  with  unfailing 
certainty  and  with  triumphant  success,  at  the  great  purpose 
which  runs  through  the  whole  of  his  deep-cast  plan. 

Thomas  is  another  and  a  bright  instance  of  this  kind. 
What  his  state  of  mind  was,  we  have  seen.  To  appear  unto 
him  immediately  on  the  resurrection  day,  would  clearly 
have  done  painful  violence  to  his  feelings.  It  would  either 
have  goaded  him  on  to  an  absolutely  unpardonable  degree  of 
resistance,  or  it  would  have  wrested  from  him  an  assent  with 
out  in  the  least  convincing  his  mind.  Why  ?  Because  he 
was  in  no  state  of  mind  to  receive  conviction.  Moreover,  he 
had  abundantly  forfeited  the  privilege  of  seeing  our  Lord  so 
soon,  and  a  protracted  season  of  sore  distress  of  mind  and 
heart  was  equally  deserved  and  wholesome  in  his  case. 
What  a  revolution  took  place  in  that  man's  mind  during  the 
whole  course  of  the  week  I  do  not  presume  to  determine. 
What  a  multitude  of  causes  conspired  to  make  him  wretched, 
and  to  pluck  the  weapons  of  his  resistance  from  his  guilty 
hands !  After  all,  the  body  of  Christ  was  nowhere  to  be 
found ;  the  false  report  of  the  High  Priests,  that  it  was  stolen 


27ii 


by  the  disciples,  was  to  him  only  a  proof  that  they,  with  all 
their  soldiery  and  seals,  knew  not  what  to  make  of  the  event, 
and  attempted  to  extricate  themselves  by  lying ;  many  a  pas- 
sage of  Scripture,  doubtless,  troubled  his  mind ;  his  seasons 
of  devotion  were  seasons  of  agony  and  darkness ;  in  the  social 
circle,  and  in  private  intercourse  with  the  brethren,  the  whole 
mass  of  existing  evidence,  all  the  power  of  conclusive  argu- 
ment and  of  holy  eloquence,  were  continually  rolled  upon  his 
mind ;  the  soft,  melting  beam  of  Christian  affection  was  con- 
tinually striving  to  dissolve  the  ice  which  chilled  his  heart, 
and  the  voice  of  prayer  and  intercession  was  continually 
poured  forth  in  his  hearing,  that  he  might  be  led  to  believe 
and  be  saved.  And,  0  !  when  he  looked  at  the  happy  coun- 
tenances which  surrounded  him,  when  he  listened  to  the  sweet 
converse  of  them  all,  and  noticed  their  delightful  assurance, 
0,  what  torture  to  his  mind !  Yet  neither  Peter's  blazing 
zeal  and  eloquence,  nor  John's  tender  and  winning  persua- 
sion, nor  James'  stern  sobriety,  nor  Mary's  tears,  nor  the 
combined  efforts  of  the  whole  church  then  existing  on  earth, 
could  break  him  down,  or  turn  him  from  the  error  of  his  ways. 
Such  is  the  perverseness  of  the  human  heart !  No ;  they 
could  not  turn  him  from  his  scepticism ;  but  they  could  pre- 
pare the  way,  gather  the  stones  from  his  path,  and  clear 
away  the  hindrances,  till  He  came,  against  whose  sovereign 
voice  no  sinner  has  ever  stood  up,  nor  ever  will  stand.  This 
they  did  ;  and  when  they  had  done  what  they  could  do,  then 
He  came,  and  did  what  they  could  not.  One  glance  of  his 
eye,  one  word  from  his-  lips,  and  the  wayward  heart  was 
turned  and  humbled,  and  the  immortal  soul  saved ;  and  this 
whole  story  is  nothing  but  a  mirror,  reflecting,  at  the  same 
time,  the  glory  of  Christ,  and  the  duty  of  the  church,  and  the 
perverseness  and  peril  of  the  sinner. 


274  THOMAS'    CONVERSION. 

How  kind  and  how  wise  the  conduct  of  Christ  was,  in  ref- 
erence to  Thomas,  is  now,  I  hope,  clear  to  us  all.  But  let  us 
see  its  bearings  upon  the  minds  of  the  other  disciples,  and  the 
whole  band  of  believers.  During  this  whole  week  they  could 
not  depart  from  Jerusalem,  for  it  was  the  week  of  the  Pass- 
over; this  week  was  chiefly  devoted  to  religious  exercises  in 
the  temple,  and  at  home.  That  the  disciples  met  once  or 
more  a  day,  privately,  we  must  necessarily  suppose.  But  it 
would  have  been  neither  advisable  nor  safe  for  the  disciples, 
if  Christ  had  appeared  often  while  they  were  at  Jerusalem, 
and  before  the  general  meeting  in  Galilee.  Moreover,  as  I 
have  already  once  observed,  it  was  in  the  plan  of  Christ  to 
give  them  time  for  reflection,  for  reading  the  Scriptures,  for 
the  exercise  of  thought,  the  duty  of  devotion,  and  the  devel- 
opment of  faith,  etc. ;  and  what  season  was  more  admirably 
calculated  for  such  purposes  than  this  week  of  religious  inter- 
est, and  of  rest  from  secular  cares  and  employments  'I  Thom- 
as' case  added  to  the  propriety  of  our  Lord's  withdrawing  for 
a  season ;  but,  while  his  case  contributed  to  deprive  them  of 
the  privilege  of  seeing  their  Master  oftener,  it  richly  compen- 
sated them  by  its  beneficial  bearings  upon  the  further  devel- 
opment of  their  views  and  feelings  this  week.  A  week  ago 
this  evening,  a  new  world  had  been  disclosed  to  them.  They 
had  learned  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  New  religious 
experience  and  new  Scripture  views  had  rushed  into  their 
minds ;  but  as  yet  they  were  not  to  go  abroad  to  make  known 
the  great  mystery  of  which  their  hearts  were  now  so  full. 
Our  Lord,  therefore,  chose  to  give  them  a  work  to  do  in  their 
own  family,  and  an  important  one  too.  A  doubting,  despair- 
ing brother  was  in  the  midst  of  them, —  an  unbelieving  apostle ! 
This  was,  indeed,  not  calculated  to  sweeten  their  meetings ; 
but  it  could  not  fail  to  give  them  a  deep  and  solemn  interest. 


THOMAS'    CONVERSION.  275 

How  the  presence  of  this  sceptical,  suffering  brother  must 
have  quickened  their  recollection  of  the  instructions  of  Christ, 
which  they  had  recently  received,  and  enlivened  all  their 
knowledge  of  divine  things !  How  must  it  have  exercised 
and  put  to  the  utmost  stretch  of  effort  their  reasoning  powers, 
when  he  boldly  and  in  sweeping  terms  questioned  the  reality 
of  their  united  and  repeated  experience !  How  must  the 
bowels  of  their  compassion  have  yearned  over  the  misery  and 
danger  of  one  whom  they  could  not  but  regard  with  the  ten- 
derest  emotions,  who  had  been  their  faithful  companion  in  joy 
and  woe,  and  who  had  once  and  again  professed  his  readiness 
to  die  with  Christ,  and  that  sincerely,  and  from  his  heart ! 
How  must  their  prayers  for  him  have  been  excited  and  quick- 
ened, their  faith  exercised,  and  every  faculty  of  their  minds 
and  hearts  taxed,  to  enlighten  and  to  save  him  !  And  when 
all  their  united  efforts  proved  vain, —  and  when,  at  last,  the 
happy  evening  hour  came,  and  Christ  appeared,  and  melted 
him  down,  and  turned  and  saved  him  with  one  glance,  one 
word, —  what  indelible  impressions  must  they  have  received 
of  the  vanity  of  all  human  strength,  and  of  the  transcending 
and  irresistible  power  of  the  King  of  kings  !  And  when  they 
remembered,  too,  who  made  them  to  differ,  what  humble 
dependence  upon  Him  who  can  give  and  withhold,  with  a 
sovereign  right,  whatsoever  he  will, — what  an  humble  depend- 
ence upon  him  must  have  mingled  with  their  new  assurance, 
and  their  never-before-tasted  joys  !  The  experienced  Chris- 
tian will  discern  the  serious  advantages  and  privileges  of  the 
little  flock  as  enhanced  by  the  conduct  of  our  Lord  in  this 
case;  and  he  will  recognize  that  eye  which  seeth  the  end 
from  the  beginning,  and  that  unfaltering  hand  which  holds 
the  reins  of  winds  and  waves,  and  all  the  changes  of  this 
fluctuating  world. 


276  THOMAS'    CONVERSION. 

But  we  must  hasten  to  the  closing  part.  "  My  Lord  and 
my  God!" — this  was  the  substance  of  the  confession  of 
Thomas'  faith ;  to  call  it  a  mere  exclamation  occasioned  by 
surprise,  and  not  an  address  to  Christ,  is  bidding  defiance  to 
the  plainest  laws  of  language,  and  brings  the  charge  of  pro- 
fanity against  Thomas.  To  this  confession  Christ  replies, 
"  Thomas,  because  thou  hast  seen,  thou  hast  believed :  blessed 
are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed."  You 
observe  here,  again,  how  our  Lord  remains  the  same  wherever 
he  speaks  and  acts.  Everywhere  he  addresses  the  whole 
man  ;  and  with  the  evidence  of  sense,  where  that  is  possible, 
immediately  combines  the  exercise  of  the  understanding  and 
of  the  sensibilities  of  the  heart.  Thomas  was  no  sooner  con- 
vinced by  the  sight  of  his  eyes,  when  a  moral  and  religious 
lesson  is  addressed  to  him,  to  occupy  and  to  exercise  his  mind 
and  heart.  But  it  is  addressed  to  us,  also,  and  it  is  too 
important  and  too  beautiful  not  to  claim  our  undivided  atten- 
tion, at  least  for  some  few  minutes. 

"Blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  be- 
lieved."—  That  we  should  admit  things  indiscriminately,  and 
without  evidence,  could  not  be  the  desire  of  Him  who  labored 
so  much  to  give  all  the  evidence  imaginable  to  his  friends, 
both  of  his  divine  mission  and  of  his  victory  over  death  and 
the  grave.  To  apprehend  the  true  meaning  and  the  whole 
moral  beauty  of  the  sentiment  in  question,  let  us  look,  for  a 
moment,  upon  one  of  the  tenderest  and  noblest  ties  which 
bind  moral  and  rational  beings  together, —  here  below  imper- 
fectly, but  perfectly  in  heaven  ;  I  mean,  confidence  in  the 
character  and  the  feelings  of  our  neighbor.  From  the 
bar  of  civil  justice  this  principle  is  indeed  excluded  by  neces- 
sity, and  nothing  short  of  evidence  and  argument  can  be 
admitted ;  though  even  there  the  supposition  is  that  a  man 


THOMAS'    CONVERSION.  277 

will  speak  the  truth,  till  something  positive  shall  tempt  him 
to  deviate  from  it.  From  the  market-place,  and  from  the 
haunts  of  wickedness,  selfishness  and  vice,  drive  it  effectually, 
and  to  exercise  it  there  would  be  folly.  But,  in  the  better 
relations  of  life,  everybody  feels  a  share  of  it  to  be  due  to  him 
from  his  neighbor,  and  to  his  neighbor  from  him  ;  and  every- 
body is  conscious  that,  without  it,  human  society  would  be 
degraded, —  there  would  be  no  intercourse  but  for  purposes  of 
strife  or  traffic,  and  life  would  be  a  burden.  What,  do  you 
think,  would  be  the  condition  of  a  state  where  ruler  and  ruled, 
citizen  and  citizen,  had  lost  all  confidence  in  each  other; 
where  every  public  transaction,  political  and  social,  was  soured 
by  universal  mistrust  and  suspicion,  and  where,  consequently, 
every  assertion,  of  greater  or  smaller  consequence,  was  to  be 
accompanied  by  evidence  and  argument,  or  by  an  oath,  in  order 
to  be  at  all  credited  ?  Would  it  not  be  a  miserable  state  of 
things  ?  Carry  it  further,  and  suppose  that  the  same  unhappy 
feeling  had  crept  into  families  and  among  friends,  and  was 
calling  forth  from  every  house  and  heart  the  voice  of  alarm, 
as  often  as  the  nearest  relation  even  approaches  to  pay  his 
pretended  friendly  evening  visit  to  its  inmates.  Then  pro- 
ceed further  still,  and  divide  the  members  of  each  family, — 
father  and  child,  husband  and  wife,  brother  and  sister, —  and 
let  none  of  them  put  any  confidence  in  the  character,  the 
conscience,  the  sincerity  and  benevolence,  of  any  of  the  rest, 
and  let  evidence  and  arguments  and  oaths  be  required  daily 
and  hourly, —  and  say  whether  hell  itself  could  be  a  less 
eligible,  a  more  frightful  abode !  It  could  not,  you  say. 
Indeed  not.  But  should  you  not  think  that  this  was  really 
the  case  in  a  family  or  state  none  of  whose  members  would 
believe  the  rest  without  continually  seeing,  hearing  and  hand- 
ling, for  himself  ?  Confidence  is  one  of  the  elements  of  social 
24 


278  THOMAS'    CONVERSION. 

intercourse ;  and  it  is  an  ennobling  one;  which  we  should  be 
anxious  to  retain,  exercise  and  deserve,  as  much  as  possible. 
How  much  of  evidence  and  argument  should  be  required, 
and  how  much  confidence  reposed,  in  every  given  instance, 
who  would  pretend  to  decide  in  the  abstract  ?  Mathematics 
do  not  apply  to  moral  subjects.  Moral  feeling  must  decide 
here,  and  the  rectitude  of  him  who  seeks  trust,  and  the  gen- 
erous fairness  of  him  who  grants  it,  equally  affect  the  exercise 
of  the  moral  principle  in  question.  A  thief,  a  liar,  believes 
nobody,  and  is  believed  by  nobody ;  a  man  who  never  told  a 
lie  finds  credence  everywhere,  and  trusts  even  to  imprudence 
sometimes.  But  beautiful  beyond  expression  is  the  lovely 
picture  of  a  Jonathan  and  a  David,  whose  mutual  noble, 
generous  and  pious  friendship  could  reconcile  the  most 
scrupulous  prudence  with  the  exercise  of  unbounded  con- 
fidence and  trust. 

Let  us  apply  these  brief  remarks  to  the  case  in  hand.  Had 
not  Jesus  foretold  his  resurrection,  and  had  not  unsuspicious 
and  pious  witnesses  seen  him  ?  —  and  why  mistrust  the  one, 
and  charge  the  others  with  folly  and  superstition,  or  with 
deceit?  Thomas  had  at  the  same  time  trampled,  though 
unconsciously,  perhaps,  upon  the  rights  of  humanity  and  of 
pious  fellowship,  upon  the  claims  of  a  faithful  Master  and 
the  duty  of  a  disciple,  by  not  believing  till  he  himself  saw. 
It  was  his  duty  and  privilege  to  believe  without  sight,  under 
circumstances  like  his,  which  rendered  confidence  so  much 
an  exercise  of  sobriety  and  duty,  and  clothed  it  with  such 
peculiar  moral  charms. 

"  Blessed  are  they,"  &c.  0,  indeed,  there  is  an  inexpress- 
ible sweetness  in  that  surrender  of  love  to  him,  that  entire 
confidence  in  the  Friend  of  sinners,  which  leads  us  not  only 
to  require  no  evidence,  no  feelings,  no  peculiar  extraordinary 


THOMAS'    CONVERSION.  279 

manifestations  on  his  part,  but  which  would  prefer  even  to 
believe  without  sight,  to  believe  upon  a  single,  poor,  short 
word  from  his  blessed  lips.  No ;  I  do  not  want  to  see  the 
heavens  open,  like  Stephen,  unless  He  choose  to  open  them. 
No;  I  do  not  ask  to  see  the  New  Jerusalem,  like  John, 
unless  He  think  this  best.  Gethsemane  seen  by  faith  is  to 
me  the  gate  of  heaven,  and  Calvary  sparkles  and  shines  to 
me,  the  sinner,  with  brighter  rubies  than  the  city  not  made 
with  hands, —  it  shines  with  the  rubies  of  his  dying  love.  I 
have  not  seen  them  with  these  eyes ;  but  he  who  died  for  me 
sent  me  word  concerning  them,  and  I  gratefully  believe.  He 
who  died  for  me, —  can  he  deceive  me  ?  can  he  seek  my  harm, 
my  ruin  ?  If  he  can,  then  let  me  be  ruined  ;  then  I  no  more 
wish  to  live ;  then  there  is  for  me  no  heaven  in  the  wide  uni- 
verse, and  my  last  tear  of  hopeless  sorrow  is  my  last  expiring 
comfort !  But,  no,  no  !  it  is  impossible  that  he  should  deceive ; 
no,  the  very  thought  is  painful  and  criminal.  Sweet  is  the 
exercise  of  unbounded  confidence  in  him ;  and  his  pale,  dying 
countenance,  the  print  of  the  nails  in  his  hands  and  the 
wound  in  his  side,  shall  be  to  my  humble  faith  the  all- 
sufficient  and  everlasting  proofs  of  his  sincere,  tender  and 
unfailing  love  to  me,  the  sinner. 

All  this,  and  much  more,  was  contained  in  the  moral  senti- 
ment which  our  Lord  addressed  to  the  humble  and  believing 
Thomas ;  and  what  a  field  of  contemplation,  and  what  a  new 
world  for  the  exercise  of  the  noblest  affections  towards  the 
noblest  object,  was  opened  to  him  at  once,  I  need  not  and  I 
cannot  tell  you.  But  it  is  addressed  to  us,  too  ;  and,  0,  that 
no  unbeliever  was  found  in  this  place  of  worship  !  To  be  an 
unbeliever  now  is  dreadful.  The  sum  of  evidence  which  lies 
before  us  at  this  late  period  is  as  nearly  equal  to  sight  as  it 
well  can  be.     And  if  he  is  blessed  who  hath  not  seen,  and  yet 


280  THOMAS'    CONVERSION. 

hath  believed,  then,  surely,  he  must  be  cursed  who  hath  seen, 
and  yet  hath  not  believed. 

Permit  me  one  or  two  remarks  more,  and  I  have  done. 

In  our  last  Meditation  it  gave  me  peculiar  pleasure,  after 
having  been  obliged  to  say  much  to  the  discredit  of  the  ten 
apostles,  to  show,  at  the  close,  with  how  bright  an  evidence  of 
sincere  piety  they  came  off,  through  divine  grace,  from  a  con- 
test as  unexpected,  as  fierce  and  trying,  as  theirs  had  been. 
The  same  privilege  I  am  now  permitted  to  enjoy  with  refer- 
ence to  Thomas. 

"  My  Lord  and  my  God  !  "  was  the  confession  of  his  faith 
in  his  Lord  and  Messiah,  and  Christ  gave  him  the  testimony 
that  he  believed.  Whether  the  necessity  of  a  divine  Sav- 
iour, and  its  inseparable  doctrine  of  the  divinity  of  Christ, 
was  quite  plain  to  the  other  disciples  at  that  time,  may,  per- 
haps, be  doubted ;  to  Thomas  it  was  plain,  if  his  words  indi- 
cate the  state  of  his  mind.  That  view  represented  in  several 
weighty  passages  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  existing,  as  it 
then  probably  did,  in  some  Jewish  schools,  was  made  plain  to 
him  by  the  exigency  of  his  individual  case,  and  the  frame  of 
his  own  mind ;  and  a  new,  broad  and  everlasting  foundation  was 
laid  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  upon  which  he  was  to  rest  his  hope 
of  heaven.  Now  he  needed  a  divine  Saviour ;  and,  therefore, 
he  sought  and  found  him.  Henceforth  he  was  a  faithful 
adherent  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  a  persevering  and 
successful  preacher  of  it.  After  the  dispersion  of  the  apostles, 
he  preached  the  Gospel  to  the  Medes,  Persians,  Hyrcanians, 
Bactrians,  Ethiopians,  and  in  India,  and  probably  in  that 
country  sacrificed  his  life  for  the  truth  of  what  he  preached. 
"  Let  us,  also,  go  and  die  with  him,"  he  had  said,  and  so  he 
did ;  and  we  shall  doubtless  find  him  among  those  who  live 
and  reign  with  Christ  for  ever  and  ever. 


THOMAS'    CONVERSION.  281 

The  history  of  the  conversion  of  an  apostle  of  Christ  and  a 
missionary  of  the  cross  has  a  peculiarly  deep  and  solemn 
interest  to  us,  beloved  brethren,  whom  God  called,  and,  count- 
ing us  faithful,  hath  put  into  the  ministry,  that  we  should 
serve  him  in  far-distant  lands,  in  the  Gospel  of  his  Son.  0, 
what  a  humbling  yet  cheering  likeness  there  is  between  Thomas 
and  us  !  There  was  a  time  with  us,  too,  when  our  hearts 
were  filled  with  sorrow  and  sinful  unbelief  and  doubts,  and 
when  all  nature  seemed  to  put  on  mourning,  to  bemoan  our 
undone,  forlorn  condition.  We  had  no  friend  on  earth  who 
could  help  us ;  and,  alas  !  we  thought  we  had  none  in  heaven. 
Many  around  us  followed  still  the  world,  but  we  could  and 
would  no  more  :  many  rejoiced  in  the  love  of  Christ,  but  we 
durst  not  yet ;  we  were  the  outcasts  of  heaven  and  earth, 
till  the  moment  came,  the  moment  never  to  be  forgotten  in 
heaven,  when  Christ  manifested  himself  to  us,  as  he  does  not 
unto  the  world,  in  all  the  beauty  of  his  sufferings,  in  all  the 
overcoming  loveliness  of  the  '•  man  of  sorrows."  Perhaps  he 
found  us  in  the  closet,  perhaps  in  the  mingled  assembly  of 
sinners  and  saints, —  and  no  one  knew  our  perishing  case,  or 
cared  for  us.  But  he  knew  it;  he  cared  for  us.  "  Reach 
hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my  hands ;  and  reach  hither 
thy  hand,  and  thrust  it  into  my  side ;  and  be  not  faithless,  but 
believing."  And,  "  My  Lord  and  my  God  !  "  was  all  that 
our  souls  could  reply.  Forthwith  the  holy  resolution  was 
made  in  his  strength,  that,  so  far  as  we  are  able,  his  name 
and  his  praise,  the  story  of  his  dying  love  and  his  saving 
power,  should  be  known  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  And  now, 
after  much  of  delay  and  toil  and  peril,  we  are  in  the  field,  and 
our  labors  are  commenced.  We  have  followed  Thomas  in  his 
unbelief;  let  us  follow  him  in  his  zeal,  his  perseverance  and 
his  faithfulness,  even  unto  death.  But  our  work  is  a  work  of 
24* 


282 


faith ;  and  our  hope  rests  not  upon  the  goodness  of  men,  nor 
upon  our  wisdom,  skill  or  power,  but  upon  his  promise  and 
his  faithfulness,  which  never  fail.  There  let  it  rest  till  we 
shall  see  him  as  he  is.  The  world  may  laugh  at  us  as  fools  ; 
those  whom  we  seek  to  save  may  curse  us  as  heretics ;  every 
external  encouraging  appearance  may  perish  and  pass  away 
like  smoke ;  yea,  the  church  of  Christ  may  lose  all  her  faith 
and  engagedness  in  the  great  work,  and  draw  back  her  hand ; 
the  whole  tide  of  external  obstacles  and  difficulties  may  set 
against  us ;  — but  the  promises  and  presence  of  Christ  may  not 
fail  us  while  we  cleave  to  him.  Mountains  may  be  removed, 
and  the  mother  may  forget  her  sucking  child ;  but  he  will 
not  forget  us,  and  his  word  will  stand  forever  ;  and  there  let 
our  confidence  rest  till  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is.  And  0,  it 
will  be  sweet  and  blessed  to  us  to  trust  him  thus.  "  Blessed 
are  they  which  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed! " — What 
a  depth  of  meaning  lies  in  these  few  words  !  what  spiritual 
enjoyment  in  the  exercise  of  this  elevated,  heavenly  sentiment ! 
To  lean  upon  Jesus  "  even  as  a  weaned  child,''  and  to  glorify 
and  honor  him  by  that  trust  whose  exercise  is  denied  to  the 
happy  spirits  in  heaven, —  for  there  all  is  sight,  and  faith  is 
no  more, —  how  blessed,  indeed  !  With  what  an  intensity  of 
holy  desire  should  we  seek  and  crave  this  precious  pearl ! 

I  have  done.  I  leave  the  remainder  to  your  own  medita- 
tion in  the  closet,  where  I  pray  the  Lord  who  appeared  unto 
Thomas  may  appear  unto  us  to-day,  and  speak  peace  to  our 
souls. 

Finally,  let  me  plead  with  you,  who  stand  as  yet  afar  off, 
doubting  and  halting  between  Christ  and  the  world, —  let  me 
plead  with  you,  in  Christ's  stead,  to  be  reconciled  to  God 
through  him.  Yet  the  sands  run,  the  sun  is  not  yet  gone 
down,  the  day  of  mercy  lasts  still,  and  the  offers  of  salvation 


283 


are  urged  upon  you.  Flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  perish- 
ing sinner,  ere  the  King  of  kings  draw  nigh  in  his  glory,  to 
show  you,  not  the  signs  of  his  dying  love,  but  the  frown  of 
holy  indignation,  and  deal  out  just  damnation  and  eternal 
ruin  upon  your  guilty  heads  !  Blessed  are  all  they  who  put 
their  trust  in  thee,  and  in  a  dying  hour  can  yield  up  their 
happy  spirits  to  thy  hands,  with  the  sincere  exclamation,  "  My 
Lord  and  my  God !  "     Amen. 


XIY. 

THE  EARLY  MEETING  AT  THE  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS. 

After  these  things  Jesus  showed  himself  again  to  the  disciples  at  the  Sea 
of  Tiberias;  and  on  this  wise  showed  he  himself.  There  were  together 
Simon  Peter,  and  Thomas  called  Didymus,  and  Nathaniel  of  Cana  in  Gali- 
lee, and  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  and  two  other  of  his  disciples.  Simon  Peter 
saith  unto  them,  I  go  a  fishing.  They  say  unto  him,  We  also  go  with  thee. 
They  went  forth,  and  entered  into  a  ship  immediately;  and  that  night  they 
caught  nothing.  But  when  the  morning  was  now  come,  Jesus  stood  on  the 
shore ;  but  the  disciples  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus.  Then  Jesus  saith 
unto  them,  Children,  have  ye  any  meat  ?  They  answered  him,  No.  And 
he  said  unto  them,  Cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship,  and  ye  shall 
find.  They  cast  therefore,  and  now  they  were  not  able  to  draw  it  for  the 
multitude  of  fishes.  Therefore  that  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved  saith  unto 
Peter,  It  is  the  Lord.  Now,  when  Simon  Peter  heard  that  it  was  the  Lord, 
he  girt  his  fisher's  coat  unto  him  (for  he  was  naked),  and  did  cast  himself 
into  the  sea.  And  the  other  disciples  came  in  a  little  ship  (for  they  were 
not  far  from  the  land,  but  as  it  were  two  hundred  cubits),  dragging  the 
net  with  fishes.  As  soon  then  as  they  were  come  to  land,  they  saw  a  fire 
of  coals  there,  and  fish  laid  thereon,  and  bread.  Jesus  saith  unto  them, 
Bring  of  the  fish  which  ye  have  now  caught.  Simon  Peter  went  up,  and 
drew  the  net  to  land  full  of  great  fishes,  an  hundred  and  fifty  and  three  ; 
and  for  all  there  were  so  many,  yet  was  not  the  net  broken.  Jesus  saith 
unto  them,  Come  and  dine.  And  none  of  the  disciples  durst  ask  him, 
Who  art  thou  ?  knowing  that  it  was  the  Lord.  Jesus  then  cometh,  and 
taketh  bread  and  giveth  them,  and  fish  likewise.  This  is  now  the  third 
time  that  Jesus  showed  himself  to  his  disciples  after  that  he  was  risen  from 
the  dead.  So,  when  they  had  dined,  Jesus  saith  to  Simon  Peter,  Simon,  son 
of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me  more  than  these  ?  He  saith  unto  him,  Yea,  Lord ; 
thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.     He  saith  unto  him,  Feed  my  lambs. 


EARLY   MEETING   AT  THE   SEA   OF  TIBERIAS.  285 

He  saith  to  him  again,  the  second  time,  Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou 
me  ?  He  saith  unto  him,  Yea,  Lord  ;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.  He 
saith  unto  him,  Feed  my  sheep.  He  saith  unto  him  the  third  time,  Simon, 
son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me  ?  Peter  -was  grieved,  because  he  said  unto 
him  the  third  time,  Lovest  thou  me  ?  And  he  said  unto  him,  Lord,  thou 
knowest  all  things  ;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.  Jesus  saith  unto  him, 
Feed  my  sheep.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  When  thou  wast  young 
thou  girdedst  thyself,  and  walkedst  whither  thou  wouldest :  but  when  thou 
shalt  be  old,  thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  another  shall  gird 
thee,  and  carry  thee  whither  thou  wouldest  not.  Thus  spake  he,  signifying 
by  what  death  he  should  glorify  God.  And  when  he  had  spoken  this,  he 
saith  unto  him,  Follow  me.  Then  Peter,  turning  about,  seeth  the  disciple 
whom  Jesus  loved  following  :  which  also  leaned  on  his  breast  at  supper, 
and  said,  Lord,  which  is  he  that  betrayeth  thee  ?  Peter  seeing  him,  saith 
to  Jesus*  Lord,  and  what  shall  this  man  do  ?  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  If  I 
will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee  ?  Follow  thou  me. 
Then  went  this  saying  abroad  amongst  the  brethren,  that  that  disciple 
should  not  die  ;  yet  Jesus  said  not  unto  him,  He  shall  not  die  ;  but  if  I 
will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee  ?  —  John  21 :  1 — 23. 

The  scene  of  our  Meditation  now  changes.  All  the  apos- 
tles and  a  number  of  other  believers  have  seen  Christ  after 
his  resurrection,  time  and  again,  at  Jerusalem.  They  are 
convinced  he  lives.  The  Paschal  week  is  spent ;  the  time  for 
the  meeting  of  the  five  hundred  brethren  draws  near ;  they 
all  proceed  to  Galilee,  according  to  the  previous  arrangement 
made  by  Christ,  and  enforced  by  the  angels  at  the  sepulchre, 
and  by  our  Lord  himself,  after  rising  from  the  dead.  A 
large  proportion  of  the  disciples  and  believers  lived  in  Gali- 
lee ;  others  went  there  to  be  present  at  the  meeting.  We 
follow  them  to-day.  Not,  indeed,  to  be  present  at  that  gen- 
eral assembly  where  "more  than  five  hundred  brethren" 
were  gathered  together  (for  of  that  we  shall  speak  in  our 
next  Meditation),  but  in  order  to  witness  and  contemplate 
another  occurrence, —  one  at  least  as  interesting  as  any  of 
those  we  have  already  gone  through,  one  very  peculiar  in 


286         EARLY   MEETING   AT  THE   SEA    OF   TIBERIAS. 

many  respects,  and,  as  we  think,  comparatively  very  little 
understood.  It  is  the  appearance  of  our  Lord,  as  recorded 
in  the  chapter  a  part  of  which  I  have  just  read  in  your 
hearing. 

My  hearers  perceive  that  my  text  is  again  rather  long ;  and 
yet  it  is  so  inseparably  connected,  that  a  division  was  imprac- 
ticable. Economy  of  time  and  of  words  on  my  part,  and  an 
undivided  attention  on  yours,  will,  therefore,  be  the  indis- 
pensable conditions  of  a  profitable  Meditation  upon  the 
subject  of  our  chapter.  Nor  must  you  fail  to  bear  in  mind 
what  I  have  said  on  several  former  occasions,  while  I  was 
discoursing  upon  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord.  The  main 
plan  he  had  in  all  his  appearances  at  Jerusalem,  and  which 
I  have  already  unfolded  to  you  and  recapitulated,  he  is  still 
pursuing  ;  and,  if  you  will  but  follow  me  attentively  through 
this  discourse,  and  one  or  two  more  to  be  delivered,  you  will 
see  the  important  work  completed, — you  will  have  the  key  to 
the  conduct  of  the  apostles  ever  afterwards,  and  you  will  pos- 
sess a  sure  foundation  upon  which  you  may  rest  with  ease  and 
comfort  your  faith  in  Christ  even  in  your  dying  hour.  We 
proceed  with  our  subject. 

We  shall  endeavor  to  appreciate, 

I.  The  peculiar  character  of  the  history  itself. 

II.  Its  bearings  upon  the  case  of  the  disciples 

IN   PARTICULAR. 

HI.  Dwell  for  a  few  minutes  upon  what  is  prac- 
tically IMPORTANT  IN  IT  TO  THE  BELIEVER  IN  EVERY  AGE. 

I.  The  week  of  the  Jewish  Passover  being  ended,  all 
that  the  apostles  knew  was,  that  the  Lord  would  appear  to 
them  in  Galilee.  They  knew  that  they  were  to  expect  him 
there,  and  they  knew  no  more.  This  is  the  case  with  every 
Christian,  in  all  his  duties  relative  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven ; 


EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE   SEA    OF   TIBERIAS.         287 

a  command  and  a  promise  of  blessing  and  ultimate  success  is 
all  the  Lord  gives.  Particulars  are  denied,  in  order  to  exer- 
cise, not  our  acumen,  but  our  faith  and  obedience.  The 
apostles  and  their  companions  had  learnt  so  well,  by  this  time, 
the  lesson  of  simple  trust  and  obedience,  that  when  the 
solemnities  of  the  great  week  at  Jerusalem  were  over,  when 
the  mind  of  Thomas  was  turned  and  pacified,  and  every  con- 
cern requiring  immediate  attention  at  Jerusalem  was  settled, 
they  set  out  for  their  respective  places  of  residence,  and 
calmly  return  to  their  several  employments.  That  Christ 
would  appear  to  them  again,  and  do  everything  necessary  to 
accomplish  the  great  end  of  his  coming  into  the  world,  they 
were  deeply  convinced ;  so  deeply,  indeed,  that  it  gave  them 
no  concern  whether  he  would  come  in  a  week,  or  a  month,  or 
a  year.  This  is  exactly  the  frame  of  a  true  Christian's  mind 
in  every  age.  The  Lord  will  come ;  of  this  grand  fact  he  is 
deeply  convinced, —  so  deeply  that  he  cares  not  when  or  how. 
The  fanatic  may  see  visions,  and  guess  and  calculate  from 
Greek  and  Hebrew  letters,  till  he  die ;  and  the  unconcerned 
sinner  may  slumber  till  he  perish,  and  the  confirmed  world- 
ling mock  on  till  the  archangel's  trump  stop  his  daring  deris- 
ion ;—  the  Christian  knows  unwaveringly  that  the  Lord 
cometh,  and  he  will  mind  his  duty,  keep  his  lamp  burning, 
and  his  loins  girded  about  with  truth,  and  his  accounts  ready. 
Our  pious  travellers  are  safely  arrived  at  their  respective 
homes.  After  resting  a  few  days,  it  happened,  one  evening, 
that  Peter  and  Thomas,  Nathaniel,  John,  James  and  two 
other  disciples,  meet  together.  It  was  at  Bethsaida,  on  the 
western  shores  of  the  Sea  of  Tiberias,  that  they  were  thus 
assembled,  at  the  house  of  Simon  Peter,  which  stood  near 
the  shore.  Reclining  around  a  frugal  supper,  they  partook 
of  "  their  meal  with  gladness  and  singleness  of  heart;"  and 


288  EARLY  MEETING  AT  THE   SEA   OF  TIBERIAS. 

when  the  hymn  of  praise  was  sung,  they  conversed  long  and 
with  deep  interest  on  the  great  events  which  had  taken  place 
during  their  last  visit  to  Jerusalem,  and  on  the  still  greater 
events  and  changes  that  were  evidently  close  by.  In  his 
company  they  last  went  up  at  the  holy  season,  but  they 
returned  alone ;  and  what  a  breach  had  his  absence  made  in 
their  circle,  and  what  a  change  in  their  situation  !  0,  how 
often  had  he  been  sitting  with  them  under  this  shady  tree ;  — 
this  tree,  whose  full  branches,  whispering  peace  and  bending 
down  round  about,  seemed  to  shut  out  the  noisy  worl<J,  and 
every  wandering  thought,  while  they  gladly  transmitted  the 
silver  rays  of  the  moon,  or  friendly  smile  of  some  twinkling 
star,  as  if  nature  had  learnt  again  her  original  task  of  being 
a  helpmate  to  piety,  and  a  guide  to  heaven,  for  her  Lord,  the 
immortal  man.  Here  used  to  be  his  seat,  unless  he  was 
induced  to  enter  the  dwelling  by  the  many  and  importunate 
sufferers,  whose  infirmities  and  sicknesses  the  compassionate 
Saviour  bore,  as  it  were,  upon  his  own  shoulders.  Indeed, 
where  was  the  spot  to  which  they  could  turn  their  eyes,  with- 
out thinking  of  him?  "Do  you  remember,"  Peter  may 
have  remarked,  "  that  time  when  he  walked  on  yonder  sea, 
and  when  I  had  the  daring  to  try  the  same,  and  he  saved  me 
from  a  watery  grave?"  "Ay,  you  had  then  no  faith," 
some  one  replied,  "  and  without  his  forgiving  love  you  would 
have  perished."  "  But  this  was  not  near  as  merciful,"  a 
third  one  exclaimed,  "  as  when,  in  that  stormy  night,  you 
remember,  we  were  all  out  at  sea,  and  he  slept  sweetly  trust- 
ing in  God,  and  when  we  were  all  full  of  unbelief  and  fear, 
and  roused  him  with  the  outcry,  '  Lord,  save  us,  or  we  per- 
ish ! '  our  poor  shell  of  a  boat  was  full  of  water,  and  could  not 
bear  a  thread  of  canvas,  and  trembled  to  the  keel  at  every 
breaking   sea.     Indeed,  we  were   at   our  wits'    end,  as  the 


EARLY   MEETING   AT  THE   SEA   OF   TIBERIAS.  289 

Psalmist  says.  But  he  rose!"  "Yes,"  another  one  adds, 
"  and  methinks  1  can  see  his  countenance  again, —  how  it 
reproved  and  comforted  us  at  the  same  time ;  and  then,  turn- 
ing to  the  foaming  waves  as  a  king  to  his  slaves,  he  ordered 
peace  and  stillness,  and  was  obeyed  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  We,  ignorant,  carnal-minded  creatures,  then,  little 
knew  who  he  was,  and  we  were  almost  in  more  terror  at  the 
miraculous  calm  which  followed  than  we  had  been  at  the  gale 
before.  ButK  blessed  be  God  that  his  character  is  now  un- 
folded to  us."  Meanwhile,  Thomas  sat  with  downcast  coun- 
tenance, wiping  his  eyes,  till  he  could  keep  silence  no  more. 
"  0,  brethren,  what  is  it  to  save  worlds  from  sickness,  or  from 
drowning,  when  compared  with  the  work  of  redeeming  one 
soul  from  sin  and  ruin?  What  is  it  to  pardon  the  misgivings 
of  fallen  nature  in  the  dread  hour  of  overwhelming  peril, 
when  compared  with  forgiving  such  unreasonable,  protracted, 
daring  stubbornness  and  unbelief,  as  mine  was  ?  Why  am  1 1 
not  now  weltering  in  the  rolling  billows  of  that  lake  which 
burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone?  "  "  It  is  owing  to  his  free 
and  tender  mercies,"  they  all  concluded.  "Yes,  brethren," 
John  sweetly  remarked,  "He  is  love;  and  he  that  dwelleth 
in  love  dwelleth  in  him.  But,  beloved,  if  God  so  loved  us, 
we  ought  to  love  one  another." 

It  was  now  between  the  last  quarter  and  new  moon,  you 
remember ;  the  nights  were  darksome  and  still ;  the  moon 
rose  about  morning ;  more  favorable  nights  for  fishing  could 
not  well  be  expected.  Their  conversation  being  closed,  instead 
of  going  to  bed,  Peter  proposed  to  go  a-fishing ;  and  the  night 
was  too  inviting,  and  their  hearts  too  full  and  too  much  melted 
into  one  at  the  moment,  to  permit  the  rest  to  retire.  They 
all  went  together.  They  had  all  become  quite  partial,  I  pre- 
sume, to  that  dear  boat  of  Peter,  in  which  the  first  arrows  of 
25 


290  EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE    SEA    OF   TIBERIAS. 

conviction  pierced  the  owner's  contrite  heart,  and  from  which 
Christ,  resting  upon  her  helm,  had  preached  many  a  sermon, 
never  to  be  forgotten  again,  to  the  thousands  lining  the  shore, 
and  covering  the  bold,  rising  ground.  Into  that  they  entered. 
They  labored  all  the  night,  and  "  caught  nothing."  As  the 
morning  approaches,  the  moon  rises,  the  east  begins  to  glim- 
mer, the  shadows  flee ;  the  time  for  fishing  is  past,  and  they 
make  for  the  land.  All  the  region  is  yet  buried  in  sleep  and 
silence,  save  the  wakeful  bird  that  sings  darkling,  and  the 
water-fowl  which  has  begun  to  move  swiftly,  screaming, 
through  the  higher  region  of  the  atmosphere,  to  reach  the 
great  western  sea  before  sunrise.  As  they  draw  nigh  the 
shore,  a  person  stands  there  ;  they  know  him  not ;  but  when 
they  begin  to  be  quite  near,  before  the  boat  touches  the  sand, 
the  stranger  asks,  "  Children,  have  ye  any  meat  ?  "  "  No," 
is  the  answer;  — to  which  he  rejoins,  "  Cast  the  net  on  the 
right  side  of  the  ship,  and  ye  shall  find."  Though  they  knew 
him  not,  it  was  no  great  thing  to  try  the  experiment ;  and 
when  they  endeavor  to  draw  the  net  up  again,  they  are  hardly 
able,  for  the  net  is  full.  The  association  of  Jesus  and  such  a 
draught  was  natural;  quick  as  lightning  it  darts  through 
John's  mind,  "It  is  the  Lord ;  "  and,  pulling  the  net  as  he 
did  next  to  Peter,  he  whispers  it  into  his  ear.  You  would, 
doubtless,  not  expect  to  see  Peter  a  minute  longer  in  the 
boat,  though  the  fishes  had  been  of  pure  gold  and  silver. 
The  net  escapes  his  hands,  as  it  were  instinctively ;  he  slips 
into  his  upper  garment,  which  he  had  thrown  off,  and  leaps 
overboard  to  swim  ashore,  leaving  it  to  the  rest  to  get  along 
with  the  heavy  net  as  well  as  they  could.  The  draught  being 
secured,  the  other  disciples  come  also  on  shore,  dragging  the 
net  to  land.  By  this  time  they  all  knew  him ;  but  there  was 
something  sacred  and  uncommonly  aAvful  in  his  appearance ; 


EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE    SEA   OF   TIBERIAS.  291 

something  strangely  mysterious  in  the  whole  scene,  which 
precluded  every  kind  of  familiarity ;  and  though  he  appeared 
somewhat  changed,  and  less  terrestrial,  if  I  may  say  so,  than 
ever,  they  durst  propose  no  question.  Not  far  from  shore 
there  is  a  coal-fire  with  fishes  roasting  and  bread  for  a  break- 
fast, and  Jesus  orders  some  of  the  other  fishes  to  be  brought 
and  roasted  also  :  not  as  though  the  former  could  not  suffice 
(you  remember  the  five  thousand  and  the  seven  thousand 
men  fed  miraculously),  but  rather  to  convince  the  trembling 
disciples  that  the  food  already  prepared  was  also  proper, 
material  food.  Then  saith  Christ,  "  Come  and  breakfast," 
and  while  they  gather  around  him,  he  pronounces  the  bless- 
ing, and,  assuming  the  office  of  host,  he  distributes  the  fishes 
and  the  bread. 

What  mortal  man  would  undertake  here  to  draw  the  line 
between  the  natural  and  the  supernatural  ?  They  are  blended 
together  as  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  and  equally  inseparable 
are  the  intellectual  and  moral  elements  exhibited  in  this 
narrative ;  and  as  little  should  I  undertake  to  draw  the  line 
between  the  dignity  of  the  divine  and  sovereign  Lord,  and  the 
kindness  of  the  loving  and  tender  Master.  This  blending  of 
various  elements  is  very  often  observable  in  the  life  of  Christ, 
and  the  present  instance  differs  from  the  rest  only  in  form 
and  degree,  but  not  in  substance.  Who  kindled  the  fire  1 
how  did  he  get  the  bread  and  fishes  ?  You  might  as  well 
ask,  Where  did  he  remain  during  the  forty  days  after  his 
resurrection  ?  How  did  he  pass  through  doors  locked  up  ? 
How  did  he  know  what  was  going  on  among  his  disciples,  and 
their  thoughts,  their  frames  of  mind,  and  what  are  the  laws 
of  his  existence  now,  etc.  etc.  ?  I  frankly  confess  to  you,  I 
do  not  know.  The  laws  of  the  existence  of  Christ  in  his 
spiritual  body,  and  of  his  moving  and  acting,  are  as  absolutely 


292  EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE   SEA    OF   TIBERIAS. 

unintelligible  to  us,  as  the  laws  upon  which  mind  generally, 
or  God  himself,  exists  and  acts.  It  is  vain  to  speculate  where 
we  have  no  means  of  experience.  It  is  no  objection  to  a 
doctrine  or  a  fact  that  it  is  incomprehensible  to  you.  Surely, 
there  is  no  time  when  you  expect  to  know  everything,  unless 
you  dream  of  becoming  altogether  and  absolutely  gods. 
Omniscience  is  a  divine  prerogative, —  you  can  never  have  it, 
through  all  eternity ;  how  much  less  here  below,  where  we 
are  of  yesterday,  and  know  nothing !  Speculation  finds  here 
her  impassable  bounds ;  but  there  lies  a  world  of  comfort  in 
this  little  story,  if  you  have  faith  to  lay  hold  of  it.  Christ 
is  the  host  of  his  people.  How  often  are  they  in  distress, 
in  poverty,  in  persecution,  in  foreign  climes,  on  journeys  by 
land  and  sea  !  They  labor  all  night  and  catch  nothing,  and 
they  prepare  for  a  season  of  severe  fasting  and  distress  ;  and, 
in  the  mean  time,  Christ  has  decked  their  table,  and  then 
meets  with  them,  to  comfort  them  in  all  their  troubles  ;  and  as 
soon  as  they  are  prepared  for  it  he  puts  them  into  the  way  of 
getting  into  all  plenty,  they  know  not  how.  I  could  tell  you 
ten  examples,  from  mere  remembrance,  where  the  hand  of 
Christ  was  everything  but  visible  to  the  very  eye ;  but  our 
time  forbids,  arid  such  facts  are  not  for  everybody.  The 
world  will  profane  them,  and  call  them  the  effect  of  chance ; 
though  it  is  clearer  than  noon-day  that  there  is  not  even  such 
a  thing  as  chance  in  existence, —  no,  not  even  if  Atheism 
itself  were  true.  0,  my  brethren,  my  fellow-pilgrims  and 
strangers,  the  time  may  come  when  you  will  labor  all  night 
for  the  necessaries  of  life  and  will  obtain  nothing ;  but  it  is 
only  a  trial  of  your  faith.  Soon  the  night  and  darkness  will 
pass,  the  morning  will  dawn,  and  the  voice  of  Jesus  will  be 
wafted  down  from  heaven  to  you,  saying,  "  Children,  have  ye 
any  meat?  *'  and  while  the  melancholy  "  No  "  is  yet  on  your 


EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE    SEA    OF   TIBERIAS.  293 

lips,  behold,  your  repast  is  already  prepared,  your  night  turned 
into  day,  and  your  troubles  into  temporal  and  spiritual  com- 
fort and  plenty., 

The  breakfast  is  ended.  Before  parting,  Christ  has  a  word 
of  importance  to  speak  to  Peter.  It  is  natural  to  suppose  that 
Peter,  who  leaped  overboard  an  hour  ago  to  come  to  Christ 
before  the  rest  could  meet  him,  was  also  as  close  as  possible 
about  his  beloved  Master  during  the  meal ;  and  the  experi- 
enced Christian,  who  knows  the  human  heart,  will  not  think 
it  too  much,  if  I  say  Peter  probably  felt  somewhat  tempted  to 
outdo  the  rest  of  the  disciples,  not  in  daring  now,  but  in  love 
to  Christ,  or  whatsoever  it  was.  If  I  mistake  not,  it  was  some 
kind  of  emulation  which  tempted  him,  implying  a  comparison 
between  himself  and  the  rest ;  perhaps  a  comparison  in  refer- 
ence to  what  is  in  itself  most  holy,  just  and  good.  This  was 
not  as  it  should  have  been.  No.  "  Why  ?  "  you  say  ;  "  shall 
we  not  each  one  of  us  endeavor  to  love  and  serve  Christ 
better  than  the  rest,  and  be  emulous  in  holy  things?"  I 
answer,  with  all  the  emphasis  I  can  command,  No,  by  no 
means  !  "  What !  not  endeavor  to  be  the  most  pious  of  all 
Christians  living,  and  to  leave  everybody  behind  us  in  godli- 
ness ?  "  No,  no  !  as  you  love  your  souls,  no  !  Here  lies  the 
most  refined,  but  also  the  most  dangerous,  snare  of  Satan. 
Avoid  it,  or  you  will  fall ;  and  your  fall  will  be  great.  "  But 
what  shall  we,  then,  endeavor  to  be?"  Endeavor  to  be  the 
poorest  sinners;  the  golden  steps  of  sanctification  lead 
downward;  mark  it.  "What!  shall  we  plunge  into  sin  1 " 
God  forbid  !  live  like  Enoch,  if  you  can ;  yea,  like  Christ 
himself.  But  either  do  not  compare  yourselves  with  other 
Christians  at  all,  or,  if  you  do,  be  sure  to  compare  yourselves 
with  those  who  are  better  than  you,  and  get  the  lowest  place ; 
and  that  in  sincerity  and  in  truth  before  God.  And,  if  you 
25* 


292  EARLY   MEETING  AT   THE   SEA    OF   TIBERIAS. 

unintelligible  to  us,  as  the  laws  upon  which  mind  generally, 
or  God  himself,  exists  and  acts.     It  is  vain  to  speculate  where 
we  have  no  means  of  experience.     It  is  no  objection  to  a 
doctrine  or  a  fact  that  it  is  incomprehensible  to  you.     Surely, 
there  is  no  time  when  you  expect  to  know  everything,  unless 
you   dream   of    becoming    altogether   and   absolutely    gods. 
Omniscience  is  a  divine  prerogative, —  you  can  never  have  it, 
through  all  eternity ;  how  much  less  here  below,  where  we 
are  of  yesterday,  and  know  nothing !     Speculation  finds  here 
her  impassable  bounds ;  but  there  lies  a  world  of  comfort  in 
this  little  story,  if  you  have  faith  to  lay  hold  of  it.      Christ 
is  the  host  of  his  people.     How  often  are  they  in  distress, 
in  poverty,  in  persecution,  in  foreign  climes,  on  journeys  by 
land  and  sea  !     They  labor  all  night  and  catch  nothing,  and 
they  prepare  for  a  season  of  severe  fasting  and  distress  ;  and, 
in  the  mean  time,  Christ  has  decked  their  table,  and  then 
meets  with  them,  to  comfort  them  in  all  their  troubles  ;  and  as 
soon  as  they  are  prepared  for  it  he  puts  them  into  the  way  of 
getting  into  all  plenty,  they  know  not  how.     I  could  tell  you 
ten  examples,  from  mere  remembrance,  where  the  hand  of 
Christ  was  everything  but  visible  to  the  very  eye ;  but  our 
time  forbids,  and  such  facts  are  not  for  everybody.     The 
world  will  profane  them,  and  call  them  the  effect  of  chance ; 
though  it  is  clearer  than  noon-day  that  there  is  not  even  such 
a  thing  as  chance  in  existence, —  no,  not  even  if  Atheism 
itself  were  true.     0,  my  brethren,  my  fellow-pilgrims  and 
strangers,  the  time  may  come  when  you  will  labor  all  night 
for  the  necessaries  of  life  and  will  obtain  nothing ;   but  it  is 
only  a  trial  of  your  faith.     Soon  the  night  and  darkness  will 
pass,  the  morning  will  dawn,  and  the  voice  of  Jesus  will  be 
wafted  down  from  heaven  to  you,  saying,  "  Children,  have  ye 
any  meat? "  and  while  the  melancholy  "No"  is  yet  on  your 


EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE   SEA   OF   TIBERIAS.  293 

lips,  behold,  your  repast  is  already  prepared,  your  night  turned 
into  day,  and  your  troubles  into  temporal  and  spiritual  com- 
fort and  plenty.. 

The  breakfast  is  ended.  Before  parting,  Christ  has  a  word 
of  importance  to  speak  to  Peter.  It  is  natural  to  suppose  that 
Peter,  who  leaped  overboard  an  hour  ago  to  come  to  Christ 
before  the  rest  could  meet  him,  was  also  as  close  as  possible 
about  his  beloved  Master  during  the  meal ;  and  the  experi- 
enced Christian,  who  knows  the  human  heart,  will  not  think 
it  too  much,  if  I  say  Peter  probably  felt  somewhat  tempted  to 
outdo  the  rest  of  the  disciples,  not  in  daring  now,  but  in  love 
to  Christ,  or  whatsoever  it  was.  If  I  mistake  not,  it  was  some 
kind  of  emulation  which  tempted  him,  implying  a  comparison 
between  himself  and  the  rest ;  perhaps  a  comparison  in  refer- 
ence to  what  is  in  itself  most  holy,  just  and  good.  This  was 
not  as  it  should  have  been.  No.  "  Why  ?  "  you  say  ;  "  shall 
we  not  each  one  of  us  endeavor  to  love  and  serve  Christ 
better  than  the  rest,  and  be  emulous  in  holy  things?"  I 
answer,  with  all  the  emphasis  I  can  command,  No,  by  no 
means  !  "  What !  not  endeavor  to  be  the  most  pious  of  all 
Christians  living,  and  to  leave  everybody  behind  us  in  godli- 
ness? "  No,  no !  as  you  love  your  souls,  no  !  Here  lies  the 
most  refined,  but  also  the  most  dangerous,  snare  of  Satan. 
Avoid  it,  or  you  will  fall ;  and  your  fall  will  be  great.  "But 
what  shall  we,  then,  endeavor  to  be  ?"  Endeavor  to  be  the 
poorest  sinners;  the  golden  steps  of  sanctification  lead 
downward ;  mark  it.  "  What !  shall  we  plunge  into  sin  ?  " 
God  forbid  !  live  like  Enoch,  if  you  can ;  yea,  like  Christ 
himself.  But  either  do  not  compare  yourselves  with  other 
Christians  at  all,  or,  if  you  do,  be  sure  to  compare  yourselves 
with  those  who  are  better  than  you,  and  get  the  lowest  place ; 
and  that  in  sincerity  and  in  truth  before  God.  And,  if  you 
25* 


294  EARLY   MEETING  AT  THE   SEA   OF   TIBERIAS. 

cannot  get  it  in  sincerity,  infer  from  it  the  deep-rooted  pride 
of  your  heart,  and  humble  yourselves  into  dust  and  ashes. 
Pray,  what  is  the  use  of  comparing  one's  self  with  others  who 
are  less  ?  0,  how  miserable  to  see  a  Christian  who  strives 
to  be  uppermost  and  foremost,  or  who,  perhaps,  thinks  him- 
self neglected  by  his  brethren,  and  strives  to  show  that  he  is 
as  good  a  Christian,  and  as  useful  a  member  of  the  church,  as 
anybody.  Is  there  no  motive,  in  all  the  dying  love  of  Christ, 
to  induce  you  to  love  and  serve  him  in  secret  1  Will  he  not 
know  it?  0,  yes.  And  is  this  not  enough?  Must  the  demon 
of  emulation  dress  up  in  sheep's  clothing,  and  impel  you  to 
the  production  of  external  fruits  of  righteousness,  which  you 
would  never  have  borne  had  the  church  been  willing  to  con- 
sider you  a  saint  without  them  ?  0,  that  the  humbling  voice 
of  Christ  might  come  to  you,  with  the  confounding,  heart- 
searching  question,  [ '  Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me 
more  than  these  ?  "  "  Wilt  thou  compare  thyself  again  ?  " 
Happy  if  you  then  understand  the  solemn  appeal  as  Peter 
did,  and  if  your  answer  will  be  like  his.  "  Simon,  son  of 
Jonas,  lovest  thou  me  more  than  these  ?  "  —  Peter,  thoroughly 
converted  and  changed,  understood  and  took  the  hint  at  once, 
and  with  humble  cheerfulness,  as  every  true  Christian,  in 
fact,  does.  In  an  instant  he  gives  up  every  claim  to  superior- 
ity, contents  himself  with  professing  the  simple  love  of  Christ, 
and  for  the  truth  of  his  profession  appeals  to  the  omniscience 
of  his  Lord.  This  he  does  especially  in  the  17th  verse,  where 
he  expressly  says,  "  Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things ;  thou 
knowest  that  I  love  thee."  Jesus'  all-seeing  eye  at  once  dis- 
cerns the  sincerity  of  Peter's  profession,  but  also  the  neces- 
sity of  his  remembering  more  distinctly  and  more  continually 
his  late  melancholy  fall.  And  thus  he  wisely  connects  these 
two  forever  in  Peter's  mind.     Three  times  he  asks,  and  three 


EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE    SEA    OF   TIBERIAS.  295 

times  Peter  must  testify  his  attachment  to  his  Lord,  till  his 
heart  and  voice  almost  fail ;  then  Christ  gives  and  confirms 
to  him  the  charge,  "  Feed  my  sheep  !     Follow  thou  me." 

Peter  has  professed  much,  and  has  appealed  to  high 
authority.  But  he  has  done  it  in  truth,  and  has  met  with 
acceptance.  But  God  has  a  right  to  try  and  test  the  most 
sincere  profession,  as  well  as  the  most  spurious  one.  Peter's 
profession  was  ultimately  to  be  tried  by  the  cross,  and  our 
Lord  makes  of  this  circumstance  another  means  of  saving  the 
beloved  disciples  from  the  perils  of  ease  and  self-confidence. 
The  consciousness  of  that  approaching  trial  wa3  to  accompany 
the  apostle  through  life,  and  to  keep  him  continually  at  the 
feet  of  Christ.  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  when  thou 
wast  young,"  and  strong,  and  knewest  nothing  better  than 
common  rectitude  and  rights  and  claims,  thou  didst  make  full 
use  of  the  independence  of  thy  mind,  resist  wrong,  return 
injuries,  and  frown  at  oppression ;  but  thy  professed  love 
to  me  will  lead  thee  another  and  a  harder  way  hereafter. 
Thou  mayest  no  more  resist  evil ;  and  the  time  cometh  when, 
an  old,  helpless  man,  thou  shalt  suffer  thyself  to  be  bound,  and 
led  to  a  place  where  flesh  and  blood  tremble  to  go.  But, 
when  that  time  is  come,  then  think  of  my  example  in  death, 
and  act  as  I  did:  "Follow  me."  Thus  saying,  Christ  pre- 
pares to  withdraw.  The  words  "  follow  me"  were  evidently 
ambiguous ;  and  Peter,  thinking  our  Lord  might  have  a  pri- 
vate word  to  speak  to  him,  followed  after  him.  John,  seeing 
this,  follows  also;  and  Peter,  anxious  to  be  left  alone  with 
Christ,  who,  he  thought,  had  something  private  to  communi- 
cate to  him,  says,  "  Lord,  but  what  is  this  man  doing?" 
Christ  replies:  "  If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is 
that  to  thee  ]  follow  thou  me."  This  reply  corrected  Peter's 
mistake;  for  it  has  evidently  no  meaning,  if  literal  tarrying 


296  EARLY   MEETING   AT  THE   SEA    OF   TIBERIAS. 

or  following  after  Christ  was '  intended.  Its  only  meaning 
could  be,  "I  told  you  you  would  die  the  same  death  as  I  did, 
and  exhorted  you  to  copy  my  example.  If  I  have  a  differ- 
ent plan  with  this  disciple,  and  permit  him  to  live  till  /  come 
to  call  him  home,  or  even  to  judge  the  world,  this  has  nothing 
to  do  with  your  duty  to  me.  Follow  me ;  this  is  all  you  have 
to  do  ! "  Peter  understood  the  meaning  of  Christ  now. 
The  manner  in  which  our  Lord  withdrew  this  time  is  not 
mentioned ;  the  popular  superstition  among  the  brethren,  that 
John  would  not  die  till  the  coming  of  Christ,  that  apostle  con- 
tradicts himself;  and  after  having  testified  that  the  facts 
related  in  his  Gospel  are  true,  and  that  he  was  an  eye  and 
ear  witness  of  them  all,  he  closes  his  work.  This  brings  us  to 
II.  Our  second  topic,  wrhich  will  occupy  but  a  few  min- 
utes. It  is  clear  that,  if  the  five  hundred  brethren  were  to 
be  ready  for  the  grand  assembly,  they  must  needs  receive 
notice  that  Christ  had  made  himself  visible  again  after  their 
return  to  Galilee ;  otherwise  they  would  naturally  soon  dis- 
perse. This  object  was  accomplished  in  the  present  instance, 
together  with  some  others  of  still  more  moment.  It  will 
appear,  in  my  next  discourse,  that  the  chief  object  of  the 
great  meeting  alluded  to  was  not  only  to  give  them  all  an 
opportunity  to  see  Christ, —  for  this  would  not  have  been 
absolutely  necessary,  for  aught  that  appears, —  but  to  intro- 
duce the  apostles  to  the  whole  church  then  living,  as  their 
representatives  and  inspired  teachers,  whom  they  all  were 
unanimously  to  follow.  But,  if  this  was  to  be  done,  then  the 
conceptions  of  the  disciples  concerning  Christ  were  to  be 
ennobled  and  raised  to  a  certain  degree  known  to  Christ  only, 
and  their  conviction  matured  ;  otherwise  the  mountain  weight 
of  apostleship  could  not  consistently  be  put  upon  their  shoul- 
ders.    Especially,  Peter,  who  was  to  act  at  once  so  powerful 


EARLY  MEETING  AT  THE   SEA   OF   TIBERIAS.  297 

and  prominent  a  part  among  the  twelve,  needed  to  be  armed 
with  the  panoply  of  a  thorough,  ripe  experience.  All  this, 
perfectly  discerned  by  Christ,  was  accomplished  in  the  pres- 
ent instance;  and,  although  this  important  object  does  not 
appear  so  plain  to  us  in  reference  to  the  other  apostles, 
certainly  in  the  case  of  Peter  the  indispensable  necessity  of 
such  an  interview,  of  such  a  finished  preparation  for  exten- 
sive labor  in  the  exercise  of  deep  personal  humility,  before 
the  great  charge  was  to  be  committed  to  him  in  the  presence 
of  the  church,  is  very  plain  even  to  us.  Peter  was  now  pre- 
pared to  set  out  on  his  apostolic  career ;  and  so  were  the  rest. 
This  was  another  end  accomplished.  The  notice  also,  prob- 
ably, was  now  sent  abroad  to  all  believers,  Be  ye  ready ;  the 
Lord  hath  appeared  !  This  was  another  still.  In  the  mean 
time,  an  impression  superior  to  any  former  one  was  left  on 
the  minds  of  the  disciples  in  reference  to  Christ ;  a  spiritual- 
ity, a  majesty,  an  awe,  marked  this  interview,  which  well 
prepared  their  minds  ere  long  to  see  him  ride  up  to  heaven 
in  a  cloud  to  repossess  his  throne ;  and  yet  there  was  never- 
theless beaming  from  his  conduct  all  the  affection  he  ever  had 
for  them,  when  he  was  in  this  world  clothed  in  mortal  flesh. 
Again ;  as  in  all  the  former  instances  when  he  appeared  to 
his  disciples,  so  here  again,  our  Lord  addresses  himself  to  the 
external  senses,  to  the  intellect,  and  the  moral  sensibilities  of 
his  friends.  No  mere  appeal  to  sense,  no  disproportion  of 
what  is  intellectual,  no  morbid  or  overstrained  exercise  of 
the  affection;  but  the  most  beautifully  proportionate  exercise 
of  all  the  faculties  of  man  are  discerned  here,  producing  the 
most  satisfactory  and  invincible  kind  and  degree  of  conviction 
on  the  subject  of  his  real  resurrection  and  the  exalted  nature 
of  his  being.  But  there  is  something  peculiar  connected 
with  the  story  of  our  text,  which  we  cannot  pass  by  in  silence. 


298  EARLY   MEETING   AT  THE   SEA   OF   TIBERIAS. 

After  all,  the  two  weeks  which  the  disciples  had  lately  spent 
in  Jerusalem,  and  during  the  former  of  which  Christ  had 
been  crucified,  were  a  season  of  high  excitement  with  them. 
Indeed,  our  Lord  gave  them  every  possible  opportunity,  at 
that  time,  to  become  and  remain  wakeful  and  sober, —  to  retire, 
to  rest,  to  meditate,  to  pray,  to  read  the  Prophets,  to  think. 
His  appearances  there  exhibit,  as  we  saw  some  time  since, 
such  a  wise  economy,  and  such  an  adaptation  to  the  different 
cases  of  individuals,  as  cannot  fairly  be  considered  the  result 
of  human  penetration  merely ;  and  everywhere  he  labored  to 
produce,  and  did  produce,  a  conviction  which  rested  on  a  deep 
foundation.  Nevertheless,  there  was,  perhaps,  occasion  on 
the  part  of  the  disciples  to  wish  for  another  interview  at  this 
time.  Now  they  were  amid  the  unquestioned  realities  of 
common  life,  in  the  sober  pursuits  of  trade  and  domestic 
employment.  "If  you  could  see  him  now,"  some  infidel 
would  perhaps  remark  to  them,  "  the  thing  would  appear  to 
you  quite  otherwise."  And  behold,  they  saw  him  now.  He 
appeared.  He  suffered  the  excitement  wholly  to  subside  ;  on 
their  journey  homeward  he  was  not  seen  ;  he  gave  them  time 
to  recover,  to  return  to  their  work ;  then  appeared  about  sun- 
rise;—  not  his  appearance,  but  the  draught  of  fishes,  must 
convince  them  who  he  is.  Nothing  is  there  to  divert,  nothing 
to  excite,  nothing  to  frighten  them.  They  eat,  they  drink, 
they  converse,  they  are  in  a  frame  of  mind  beyond  question 
of  the  most  sober  kind;  and  the  hundred  and  fifty  fishes 
caught  and  accurately  numbered  by  them,  though  dumb, 
could  afterwards  still  testify  to  the  interesting  reality  of  that 
heavenly  morning  scene. 

What  a  sea  of  conviction,  and  of  cheerful  certainty  and 
satisfaction,  must  have  rolled  into  their  minds  !  He  is  risen 
again  !  —  he  is  risen,  though  the  world  deny  it,  and  all  hell 


EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE   SEA    OF    TIBERIAS.  299 

tremble  to  the  bottom,  and  foam  out  mad  scorn  and  lying 
blasphemy  and  blazing  persecution.  "  He  lives  !  "  their  hearts 
shouted ;  and  they  could  hardly  await  the  time  when  they 
were  permitted  to  make  the  temple  of  Jerusalem  ring  again 
with  the  great,  soul-inspiring  news. 

Thus  you  see  the  various  and  important  objects  of  this 
appearance  of  our  Lord.  Though  learned  infidelity  may  see 
no  worthy  purpose  and  drift  in  our  story,  we  do  see  it,  and 
we  cannot  spare  a  portion  of  Holy  Writ  of  which  they  make 
such  hard  efforts  to  rid  themselves. 

III.  Several  remarks  belonging  under  this  head  were 
anticipated  by  us,  and  came  in  by  way  of  digression  during 
the  course  of  our  Meditation.  For  this  I  am  not  sorry.  On 
the  contrary,  I  rejoice,  because  it  will  give  me  the  more  time 
(if  any  time  be  left  us)  to  address  to  you  and  to  myself,  not 
explanatory  remarks,  but  a  question  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 
our  risen  Lord, — a  question  which  carries  along  with  it  all  the 
heart-searching,  absorbing  importance  and  solemnity  of  the 
judgment-day. 

"Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me?"  "Lord,  thou 
knowest  all  things ;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee  ! " 

Need  I  say  more?  Is  there  a  heart  here  so  dull  and 
stupid,  whose  most  secret  cord  does  not  thrill  audibly  at  the 
very  hearing  of  this  piercing,  all-decisive  question,  or  stand 
aghast  at  the  reply,  clothed  in  humble  shame,  yet  full  of 
sacred  single-heartedness  and  boldness,  and  big  with  eternal 
consequences  ?  But  Peter  is  in  heaven ;  and  the  question 
stands  recorded  in  your  Bible,  hearer,  not  as  an  idle  inter- 
rogatory, but  to  be  answered  by  you.  You  did  not  escape 
the  tender  regard  of  Jesus  in  the  administration  of  his  sover- 
eign mercy  ;  he  has  given  you  his  Word,  he  has  propounded 
to  you  the  great  question  deciding  life  or  death  ;  the  reply  of 


300  EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE   SEA   OF   TIBERIAS. 

your  heart  will  not  escape  the  all-pervading  eye  of  his  omnis- 
cience, nor  your  soul  the  grasp  of  his  omnipotent  hand.  I 
testify  to  you  to-day,  that,  as  this  divine  service  is  not  an  idle 
round  of  human  ceremony,  but  the  proclamation  of  peace  and 
everlasting  life  through  Christ,  so  is  the  question  now  pro- 
pounded to  you  all  not  an  ingenious  display  of  eloquence,  but 
a  sentiment  which  the  divine  Spirit  has  copied  from  the  book 
of  questions  to  be  used  at  the  judgment-day,  and  has  hung  it 
out  of  heaven  for  your  reading,  and  your  solemn  consideration 
and  reply,  before  the  all-seeing  eye  of  God.  It  may  be  an 
empty  question  to  Satan,  or  to  the  damned  in  hell,  who  are 
forever  lost ;  but  to  you,  whose  sands  are  running  yet,  it  is 
real,  solemn  and  eventful,  as  one  of  the  seven  mysterious 
thunders  in  heaven. 

Come,  now,  whether  you  be  believers  or  worldlings, —  come, 
now,  and  gather  round  this  burning  sentence  of  inspiration, 
which  the  finger  of  God  has  written  upon  these  walls  to-day  ; 
for  I  shall  not  let  you  go  out  by  this  door  again  till  I  have 
pressed  to  the  utmost  of  my  power  its  solemn  contents,  and 
once  more  washed  my  hands  of  your  blood,  in  the  sight  of  God 
and  angels  and  men ;  or,  if  you  are  a  believer,  not  until  I 
have  poured  its  healing  balm  into  your  soul,  and  fixed  your 
steadfast  eye  upon  this  polar  star  of  your  road  to  heaven. 

My  unconverted  hearers,  it  is  a  matter  of  no  difficulty,  you 
yourselves  being  judges,  to  decide  which  dish  on  your  table 
you  like  best ;  which  book,  which  entertainment,  you  prefer ; 
for  whom  of  your  acquaintances  you  feel  any  regard  or  attach- 
ment ;  or  whether  you  do,  or  do  not,  love  your  father  or 
mother,  husband  or  wife,  son  or  daughter,  or  your  own  life, 
etc.  It  is  a  matter  of  simple  consciousness ;  and  a  little  child 
has  an  answer  ready  to  this  question  long  before  it  can  reply 
to  any  other.     I  shall  therefore  not  permit  you  to   plead 


I 


EARLY   MEETING   AT  TIIE   SEA   OF   TIBERIAS.  301 

ignorance  on  this  subject.  To  love  an  individual  without 
being  conscious  of  it,  is  as  absurd  as  any  contradiction  in 
terms  can  ever  be,  and  the  merest  refuge  of  lies  behind  which 
any  sinner  ever  endeavored  to  hide  the  rebellion  of  his  heart. 
You  know  it,  if  you  love  Christ ;  and  if  you  love  him  not,  you 
know  it  likewise. 

Step  forth,  then ;  the  risen  Saviour  is  here,  and  asks  you, 
"Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me?"  Remember  that 
your  answer  must  be  given  with  an  appeal  to  his  omniscience. 
Look  back  upon  your  life ;  examine  your  conduct  towards  your 
Saviour,  and  your  daily  frame  of  mind ;  enter  into  your  closet 
and  draw  your  secret  hours  to  the  day-light  before  God ; 
search  your  hearts  as  with  a  candle,  weigh  your  motives  in 
the  balance  of  the  sanctuary, —  then  open  your  mouth  and 
speak,  and  all  heaven  shall  listen,  and  the  answer  will  be 
recorded  above. 

If  from  your  infancy  religion  has  appeared  a  gloomy  task 
which  a  poor  man  must  perform  or  be  lost ;  if  religious  meet- 
ings and  the  society  of  godly  people  have  appeared  to  you 
dull  seasons,  and  the  Bible  a  tedious  book ;  if  novels,  poetry 
and  plays,  the  political,  literary,  mercantile,  witty,  or  epicu- 
rean periodicals  of  our  forlorn  generation  have  filled  up  your 
leisure  hours  and  engrossed  your  minds ;  if  you  are  in  the 
habit  of  rising  up  and  retiring  without  prayer, —  a  thing 
which  no  consistent  Jew,  Mahometan  or  heathen,  will  do ; 
if,  in  your  dealings  with  men,  honor  has  been  the  noblest 
principle,  while  self-denying  Christian  charity  has  been  ex- 
cluded; if  your  secret  hours  have  been  stained  with  secret 
crimes,  or  with  thoughtless  indifference  to  your  high  and 
divine  destination  and  to  the  all-pervading  presence  of  God, — 
void  of  contemplation  and  better  thoughts,  void  of  devotion, 
void  of  interest,  void  of  spiritual  profit;  if  your  grand  motive 
26 


302  EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE   SEA   OF   TIBERIAS. 

and  spring  of  action  has  been  to  get  along  in  the  world,  as 
they  say,  to  obtain  a  situation,  to  become  independent ;  in  one 
word,  to  get,  to  possess,  to  enjoy,  to  become  something  aside 
from  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  love  and  the  kingdom  of 
Christ, —  no  matter  whether  that  something  was  in  itself  law- 
ful or  unlawful,  great  or  small ;  above  all  things,  if  Christ 
and  his  cross  have  been  to  you  without  form  and  comeliness, 
if  they  never  melted  your  heart,  nor  lifted  your  soul  above 
the  follies  and  the  mole-hill  concerns  of  this  trifling  world,  nor 
filled  you  with  holy  admiration  or  with  holy  resolution,  with 
heavenly  love  and  heavenly  energy  to  follow  Christ,  and  to  do 
his  will :  then,  0,  then,  hesitate  not  to  confess  (for  you  can- 
not hide  it),  and  say,  Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things  ;  thou 
knowest  that  I  love  thee  not.  Then  hesitate  not  to  admit 
(for  you  had  better  know  it  in  season,  if  peradventure  you 
may  be  struck  with  holy  terror  and  turn  to  Christ  and  live), 
then  hesitate  not  to  admit,  at  once,  that  to  you  the  divine  sen- 
timent before  us  is  a  dreadful  "  Mene,  mene,  tekel,  upharsin," 
that  is,  "  God  has  remembered  thy  kingdom  and  finished 
it."  Thy  fleeting  privileges,  thy  moments  of  mercy,  hasten  to 
their  melancholy  catastrophe:  "thou  art  weighed  in  the 
balance  (of  heaven)  and  found  wanting;  "  thy  kingdom,  thy 
inheritance  in  heaven,  vainly  purchased  for  thee  and  vainly 
offered,  is  torn  from  thee,  and  given  to  some  poor,  despised 
heathen  in  the  islands  of  the  sea,  or  in  yonder  China  or  India, 
or  to  some  perishing  slave  in  the  New  World.  Ah  !  it  is  a 
melancholy  thing  to  look  about  among  my  hearers,  and  to  ask 
whose  case  is  now  described.  Who  will  be  thrust  out  of 
heaven  as  an  enemy  of  Christ  ?  Methinks  I  can  spare  none 
of  you ;  and  blessed  be  the  Lord  that  I  can  yet  stand  between 
you  and  ruin,  and  plead  with  you  the  cause  of  your  immortal 
soul !    Alas !  in  the  evil  days  into  which  our  lot  has  fallen,  we 


EARLY   MEETING   AT  THE   SEA   OF  TIBERIAS.  303 

are  confined  with  this  privilege  almost  entirely  to  the  sacred 
desk,  and  to  the  fleeting  hour  of  preaching.  In  common  con- 
versation you  will  give  us  no  chance.  Let  me,  then,  improve 
this  moment,  and  plead  with  you,  as  I  have  often  done  before, 
by  all  that  is  dear  to  you, —  love  not  the  world  and  its  toys; 
but  love  and  follow  Christ !  Let  me  throw  the  whole  weight 
of  eternity,  of  heaven  and  hell,  into  the  scale  of  your  decision, 
and  settle  it  forever  that  you  will  love  and  follow  Christ,  and 
serve  and  glorify  him  !  Your  spiritual  grave  is  open  ;  angels 
have  rolled  the  rock  away  ;  the  folding-doors  of  heaven's  gate 
are  thrown  back ;  the  Gospel-trumpet  rings  in  your  ears. 
Listen,  I  do  beseech  you,  listen  to  it  while  it  does  sound  ! 
Soon  it  will  stop  forever,  to  give  room  to  the  thunder  of  the 
Archangel's  voice.  Then  it  will  be  forever  too  late ;  and  I 
shall  bear  witness  against  you,  that  you  have  heard  the  sound 
of  the  Gospel-trumpet,  and  took  no  warning ;  and  the  sword 
came  and  took  you  away,  and  that  your  blood  is  upon  your 
own  head.  0,  that  the  Lord  might  deliver  me  from  that  task, 
and  convert  and  save  you  all  ! 

To  those  who  know  Christ,  and  the  power  of  his  resurrection 
and  the  fellowship  of  his  sufferings,  the  heart-searching  ques- 
tion of  Christ  is  addressed  for  their  self-examination,  and  for 
their  humiliation,  no  doubt ;  but  also  for  their  comfort.  You 
will  not  expect  me  to  describe  to  you  the  peace  and  blessed- 
ness of  Peter,  when  the  great  profession  was  made,  his  con- 
science bearing  him  witness  in  the  Holy  Ghost  that  he  spoke 
the  truth  in  Christ  and  did  not  lie.  And,  though  the  remem- 
brance of  his  fall  and  of  a  misspent  life  humbled  him  deeply, 
yet  the  sense  of  Jesus'  love  kept  him  from  sinking,  and 
assured  him  that  his  sins  were  all  forgiven,  and  that  the  work 
of  divine  grace  was  in  his  heart.  The  great  evidence  of  a 
new  state  of  mind  was  there ;  and,  though  he  was  the  least 


304  EARLY  MEETING   AT  THE   SEA   OF  TIBERIAS. 

among  the  saints,  he  professed  Christ,  and  Christ  was  all  he 
wanted. 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  let  us  remember  this,  and  not 
seek  again  the  evidence  of  our  conversion  in  the  imperfect 
fruits  of  righteousness  we  bear.  Since  Jesus  has  left  this 
world,  and  is  gone  up  to  heaven  whence  he  came,  perfection 
has  ceased  to  dwell  on  earth.  Let  the  touchstone  of  our 
hopes  be  the  love  of  Christ.  If  we  can  look  about  over  "all 
creation,  and  then,  appealing  to  his  omniscience,  say,  "  Lord, 
thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee,"  and  that  I  love  thee  more 
than  all  these  things ;  more  than  I  do  father  and  mother, 
brother  or  sister,  husband  or  wife,  son  or  daughter,  yea, 
more  than  my  own  life  also ;  though  that  love  may  still  be,  as 
indeed  it  must,  infinitely  below  our  debt  of  gratitude,  infinitely 
below  his  merits,  his  loveliness,  and  his  love  to  us ;  though 
the  fruits  of  our  faith  and  love  may  be,  as  indeed  they  ever 
must  be,  infinitely  below  our  obligations  to  him,  and  infinitely 
below  his  blessed,  perfect  example, —  be  not  disheartened  ! 
You  still  love  him  more  than  all  besides ;  and  do  you  think 
that  he  loves  you  less  ?  Sooner  will  he  blot  out  the  stars  than 
quench  the  little  glimmering  spark  of  divine  love  in  your 
hearts,  or  leave  you  to  perish.  Forget  all  your  own  works, 
all  your  sins  and  imperfections,  and  all  your  gifts  and  graces, 
too,  and  love  him  with  your  whole  heart,  though  it  be  but 
small  and  contracted  yet.  He  will  also  love  you  with  his 
whole  heart,  and  his  heart  is  a  rolling  ocean  of  love,  a  burn- 
ing fire  of  undying  affection.  Do  you  think  he  will  reckon 
with  you  about  your  little  works  1  Love  does  not  reckon. 
Or  does  he  need  them  1  If  he  were  hungry  or  thirsty,  he 
would  not  tell  you  ;  Lebanon  is  too  small  for  an  offering,  and 
the  beasts  thereof  too  few  for  a  burnt-offering ;  and  the  cattle 
upon  a  thousand  hills  are  his.     It  is  your  heart  he  wants ; 


EARLY   MEETING   AT   THE   SEA   OF   TIBERIAS.  305 

if  that  be  his,  and  wholly  his,  he  is  satisfied ;  he  will  adorn  it 
for  himself  without  your  knowing  it.  While  you  tune  your 
plaintive  song,  "  Look  not  upon  me,  0  ye  daughters  of  Jeru- 
salem, because  I  am  black,  because  the  sun  hath  looked  upon 
me :  my  mother's  children  were  angry  with  me  ;  they  made 
me  a  keeper  of  the  vineyards ;  but  mine  own  vineyard  have  I 
not  kept.  Tell  me,  0  thou  whom  my  soul  loveth,  where 
thou  feedest,  where  thou  makest  thy  flock  to  rest  at  noon  : 
for  why  should  I  be  as  one  that  turneth  aside  by  the  flocks  of 
thy  companions?  "  he  will  answer,  and  say,  "  How  fair  is  thy 
love,  my  sister,  my  spouse  !  how  much  better  is  thy  love  than 
wine !  and  the  smell  of  thine  ointments  than  all  spices !  " 
"Thou  hast  loved  much:  therefore  much  is  forgiven  thee." 
"Follow  thou  me,"  and  be  forever  mine  !  And  ere  you  are 
aware  of  it,  or  think  of  it,  or  dare  to  hope  it.  or  dare  to  be- 
lieve it  yourself,  he  will  make  your  light  shine  before  men, 
that  they,  not  you,  may  see  your  good  works,  and  glorify 
your  Father  which  is  in  heaven.  Like  the  sun  you  will 
warm  and  quicken  all  around  you,  though  like  him  uncon- 
sciously, perhaps  ;  like  the  stars  you  will  shine,  but  not  unto 
yourself. 

"  Awake,  0  north  wind,  and  come,  thou  south  ;  blow  upon 
my  garden,  that  the  spices  thereof  may  flow  out.  Let  my 
beloved  come  into  his  garden,  and  eat  his  pleasant  fruits !  " 
Amen. 

26* 


XV. 

THE  MEETING  OF  THE  FIVE  HUNDRED  BRETHREN 

And  he  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel 
to  every  creature.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved  ;  but 
he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  And  these  signs  shall  follow  them 
that  believe  :  in  my  name  shall  they  cast  out  devils  ;  they  shall  speak 
with  new  tongues  ;  they  shall  take  up  serpents  ;  and  if  they  drink  any 
deadly  thing,  it  shall  not  hurt  them  :  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and 
they  shall  recover. 

After  that,  he  was  seen  of  above  five  hundred  brethren  at  once  ;  of  whom 
the  greater  part  remain  unto  this  present,  but  some  are  fallen  asleep.  — 
Mark  16  :  15—18.    1  Corinthians  15  :  6.     Matt.  28 :  16—20. 

In  selecting  my  text  for  my  present  discourse,  I  assume 
that  Matthew  and  Mark,  in  the  passages  which  I  read  first, 
and  Paul  in  the  one  which  followed,  refer  to  one  and  the  same 
event.  As  I  do  not  enjoy,  in  this  view  of  the  subject,  the 
assent  of  some  of  the  latest  critics,  I  feel  an  obligation  briefly 
and  candidly  to  mention  the  reasons  which  have  led  me  to  the 
conclusion  to  which  I  have  come,  relative  to  the  identity  of 
the  event  in  the  three  passages  of  Scripture. 

1.  The  meeting  in  Galilee  was  the  all-absorbing  subject 
of  expectation  after  Christ's  resurrection.  The  angels  at  the 
sepulchre  remind  the  women  of  it,  and  send  word  to  the  dis- 
ciples and  to  Peter  that  it  would  certainly  take  place.  Christ 
himself  had  given  to  his  disciples  a  special  promise  of  that 
meeting  before  his  death  ;  and  by  Mary,  whom  he  met  at  the 


MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN.        307 

sepulchre  after  rising  from  the  dead,  he  reminded  his 
brethren  of  proceeding  to  Galilee.  All  these  preparations 
answer  well  to  the  meeting  of  the  five  hundred,  which  was 
no  less  than  the  assembly  of  the  whole  church  then  living.  In 
the  above  errands  of  the  angels  and  of  Christ,  the  term  ' '  dis- 
ciples" is  not  necessarily  restricted  to  the  eleven  ;  other  believ- 
ers were  sometimes  called  so,  and  the  expression  "brethren," 
which  Mark  uses  in  its  place,  clearly  points  to  a  broader  accept- 
ation of  the  term  "  disciples."  The  twelve  disciples  of  Christ 
were  never  called  his  brethren  exclusive  of  other  believers. 

2.  What  Christ  says  at  the  meeting  itself  concerns  the 
whole  church,  and  cannot  be  limited  to  the  eleven.  They 
could  neither  baptize  all  the  nations,  nor  preach  the  Gospel 
to  every  creature,  nor  enjoy  on  earth  the  presence  of  Christ 
to  the  end  of  time.  But  the  church  can  and  will  do  and 
enjoy  all  this. 

3.  Some,  upon  seeing  Christ  upon  that  occasion,  doubted 
whether  it  was  he,  or  not ;  this  could  not  be  expected  of  the 
eleven  disciples,  who  had  already  seen  Christ  time  and  again, 
but  must  be  supposed  to  refer  to  some  other  believers,  who 
had  never  before  seen  Christ  in  his  glorified  and  elevated 
condition  ;  other  believers  must,  therefore,  have  been  present, 
—  and  why  not  all  the  five  hundred  ? 

4.  A  meeting  like  that  of  the  whole  church  would  natu- 
rally be  mentioned  by  the  Evangelists ;  but,  if  it  is  not  con- 
tained in  the  portions  of  Scripture  which  I  interpret  as 
alluding  to  it,  I  ask,  where  is  it  contained  1  To  the  objection 
that  neither  Matthew  nor  Mark  mentions  the  number  of  be- 
lievers present  to  have  been  so  great,  I  reply,  these  two 
Evangelists  are  evidently  exceedingly  brief  towards  the  close 
of  their  accounts;  they  only  mention  what  is  altogether 
essential  for  their  purpose,  and  dismiss  the  rest,  or  assume  it 


308        MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN. 

as  well  known.  Nevertheless,  the  mention  of  a  mountain  in 
Galilee  already  leads  to  the  idea  of  a  large  congregation, 
one  not  to  be  assembled  within  walls,  as  the  eleven  at  Jeru- 
salem used  to  be ;  and  the  recollection  of  the  reader  at  the 
period  when  the  Gospels  were  written  would  then  easily 
supply  what  the  necessity  of  conciseness  did  not  permit  the 
Evangelists  to  insert. 

While  we  implore  the  assistance  of  Him  who  alone  can 
guide  us  into  all  truth,  we  proceed  to  the  contemplation  of 
the  solemn  and  interesting  event  before  us.  It  is  the  only 
instance  in  the  history  of  our  globe  when  the  whole  church 
of  Christ  was  assembled  in  one  place,  with  Christ  himself 
visible  and  audible  in  the  midst  of  them.  Till  the  eternal 
separation  of  the  chaff  from  the  wheat,  of  the  good  seed  from 
the  tares, —  till  the  consummation  of  all  things, —  such  a 
meeting  will  take  place  no  more. 

Unwilling  to  lose  any  prominent  part  of  my  text.  I  must 
again  beg  the  indulgence  of  my  audience,  if  the  arrangement 
of  the  discourse  exhibits  nothing  like  a  logical  concatenation 
of  thought.  The  substance  of  it  shall  not  be  destitute  of 
reason  and  argument.  The  fact  is,  that  I  want  to  occupy 
the  whole  ground  as  far  as  my  time  will  permit.  If  I  were 
to  cut  up  this  Meditation  into  propositions,  I  should  want  to 
stretch  their  terms  beyond  the  power  of  language.  But,  I 
feel  as  though  we  should  all  be  most  profited  by  accompany- 
ing, with  one  accord,  the  little  flock  on  their  way  to  the 
solitary  and  interesting  meeting,  and  then,  sitting  down 
with  them,  listen  with  solemn  attention  to  the  weighty  and 
gracious  words  of  Christ  himself.  Let  us,  then,  arise,  my 
friends,  and  go  up  to  the  mount, — up  where  every  better  emo- 
tion brightens ;  where  the  pulse  of  spiritual  life  beats  higher, 
and  where  the  bosom  swells  and  heaves  as  though  it  was  now 


MEETING   OF   THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN.        309 

to  drink  at  once  of  the  river  of  the  water  of  life  freely.  0, 
that  none  of  you  might  now  remain  below  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  to  hear  and  see  nothing  but  the  thunderings  and 
the  lightnings  of  divine  justice  provoked,  and  the  shaking  of 
nature  before  Him  to  whom  all  power  is  given  in  heaven  and 
on  earth  ! 

I.  Our  pilgrimage  to  the  mount  of  vision  is  our  first  united 
task.  But  whither  ?  —  Into  a  mountain  in  Galilee,  according 
to  Matthew  26  :  32 ;  23  :  7,  10,  16,  and  other  passages.  But 
into  which  mountain  ?  —  Scripture  is  silent  on  the  subject : 
an  ancient  tradition,  according  to  some  writers,  points  us  to 
Tabor.  It  was  on  this  mountain,  according  to  the  testimony 
of  antiquity,  that  Christ  was  transfigured ;  he  knew  it  as  a 
convenient  and  safe  place  of  retirement.  There  is  no  evi- 
dence that  the  eminence  of  Tabor  was  inhabited  at  that 
time.  In  times  of  war  it  became  repeatedly  a  place  of  refuge, 
or  a  military  post;  but  the  entire  absence  of  water,  save 
rain-water,  and  the  difficulty  of  access  to  the  summit,  would 
naturally  soon  lead  to  its  abandonment  again.  It  is  a  soli- 
tary place  now,  and  has  been  so  for  many  centuries.  The 
topographical  position  of  Tabor  was  exceedingly  favorable  for 
the  purpose  of  our  text.  Its  distance  from  the  Sea  of  Tiberias 
is  but  eight  or  nine  miles  ;  equally  far  was  Nazareth  from  it. 
Magdala,  the  city  of  Mary  Magdalene,  was  at  the  same  dis- 
tance. Even  Samaria  on  the  south-west,  and  Capernaum  on 
the  north-east,  were  but  twenty  miles  off.  It  was  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Lake  of  Tiberias  that  Christ  had  already 
appeared,  as  we  saw  in  our  last  discourse ;  and  thereabout  his 
followers  must  have  been  gathered,  in  expectation  of  the  meet- 
ing. The  peculiar  nature  of  the  mountain  itself  was,  perhaps, 
more  favorable  than  that  of  any  other  in  Galilee.  Tabor  is  a 
solitary  cone  north-east  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  from  four 


310        MEETING   OF  THE  FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN. 

to  five  hundred  fathoms  high,  with  a  platform  on  the  top,  of 
near  half  an  hour's  walk  in  circumference.  The  sides  of  the 
mountain,  composed  of  limestone,  were,  and  still  are,  covered 
with  a  forest  of  oaks.  In  less  than  an  hour  its  summit  can 
be  reached  ;  but,  the  latter  half  of  the  journey  being  difficult 
and  uncomfortable,  the  top  of  Tabor  has  always  been  a  soli- 
tary place.  In  the  morning  the  summit  of  the  mountain  is 
covered  with  a  cloud,  which,  towards  noon,  passes  away 
before  a  fresh  breeze,  by  which  the  height  is  sometimes 
rendered  unpleasant  that  part  of  the  day.  As  the  cloudy 
covering  is  rarefied,  a  prospect  opens  well  calculated  to 
expand  the  bosom  of  man,  and  prepare  the  most  trembling 
heart  for  the  conception  of  great  resolutions  and  vast  hopes. 
On  the  south,  successive  valleys  and  hills  run  down  as  far  as 
the  grand  rock  of  Jerusalem.  On  the  east,  proud  Jordan 
meanders  with  royal  ease  along  the  fertile  valley,  and  the  Lake 
of  Tiberias  reflects  the  canopy  of  heaven  with  its  passing 
clouds.  Still  further  east,  the  valleys  of  Hauran  lie  spread 
out ;  and  on  the  north  tower  the  Hasbeian  and  Casmian  Moun- 
tains, with  the  majestic  Lebanon  behind  them.  And,  finally, 
on  the  west,  the  fruitful  plains  of  Galilee  shade  away  into  a 
delicate  picture ;  the  Mediterranean  Sea  borders  the  landscape. 
And  how  well  our  Lord  knew  to  make  nature  tributary  to  his 
holy  purposes  I  need  not  prove ;  and  why  should  he  not  have 
done  so  here  ?  I  need  only  add,  that  the  season  of  the  year, 
as  well  as  a  multitude  of  other  circumstances,  arising  from 
the  nature  of  the  spot  just  described,  and,  indeed,  of  the 
meeting  itself,  oblige  us  to  suppose  that  the  journey  was 
performed  during  the  latter  part  of  the  night,  and  that  the 
rising  sun  found  them  all  assembled,  and  Christ  in  the  midst 
of  them. 

But  let  us  anticipate  nothing.     We  are  in  Galilee  still. 


MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN.        311 

Mysteriously  surrounded  by  him  whom  we  used  to  see  in 
mortal  flesh,  we  are  awaiting,  among  the  rest  of  his  disciples, 
the  coming  of  that  interesting  moment  when  the  long-prom- 
ised meeting  on  yonder  solitary  mountain  shall  be  announced. 
All  necessary  preparations  are  made ;  all  minds  calmed,  settled, 
solemnized, —  every  carnal  expectation  hushed,  every  doubt 
dispelled  ;  the  time  is  come.  The  notice  is  given  in  the  eve- 
ning, and  flies  from  heart  to  heart,  from  house  to  house,  on 
the  wings  of  sacred  joy.  Angels  appear  to  be  the  bearers  of 
the  holy  errand ;  for  it  moves  with  -the  swiftness  and  the 
unfailing  certainty  of  lightning.  The  midnight  breeze  wafts 
the  glad  tidings  to  the  dwelling-place  of  every  distant  believer, 
not  one  excepted.  But  upon  the  enemies  a  deep  sleep  has 
fallen  from  the  Lord,  and  not  one  of  them  apprehends  the 
approach  of  the  great  hour.  They  all  slumber  unconscious  : 
no  mocker  annoys  the  harmless  pilgrims ;  no  cursing  or 
trifling  wretch  disturbs  their  pious  conversations  and  the 
psalms  they  sing  by  the  way ;  no  foe  obstructs  their  path ; 
no  spy  is  hid  on  the  mountain-top,  to  mark  them  for  prison 
and  slaughter. 

Like  scenes  are  acting  over  in  our  times ;  and  they  have, 
in  fact,  always  occurred,  since  the  meeting  in  Galilee.  How 
often  does  it  happen  that  God  puts  it  into  the  hearts  of  some 
despised  Galileans  or  Nazarenes  to  get  together  in  an  early 
meeting  before  sunrise,  to  meet  the  Lord,  to  pray  together 
to  him,  to  meditate  upon  his  word,  and  to  receive  his  com- 
mandments !  Thoughtless  men  either  know  nothing  at  all 
about  it,  or  they  smile  at  the  superstitious  notions  of  these 
singular  people.  It  is  a  matter  of  no  consequence  to  them ; 
the  rearing  of  a  house,  the  purchase  of  a  fashionable  toy,  the 
lying  tales  of  the  day,  and  every  other  like  folly,  receive 
incomparably  more  of  their  attention   than   such  a  super- 


312        MEETING    OF   THE   FIVE    HUNDRED    BRETHREN. 

stitious  prayer-meeting.  And  then,  commercial  news,  literary 
publications,  political  phenomena, —  who  would  ever  be  so 
ridiculous  as  to  degrade  them  to  a  comparison  with  the  des- 
picable season  of  an  early  social  devotion,  to  which  none  of 
the  "  wise  men  after  the  flesh,"  none  of  "  the  mighty,"  none 
of  "  the  noble  "  are  called?  But,  sooner  or  later,  the  conse- 
quences of  such  a  despised  prayer-meeting  are  felt ;  and  many 
a  sleeper  who  mocked  or  cursed  them  in  his  heart,  while 
stretched  on  his  couch,  can  all  the  night  through  get  neither 
sleep  to  his  eyes  nor  slumber  to  his  eyelids ;  for  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  descended,  and  conviction  has  fastened  upon  him, 
resistlessly,  till  he  cries  for  mercy  and  submits.  And  in 
another  house  or  palace  you  find,  perhaps,  the  unreclaimed 
rebel  sealed  to  destruction.  Ahab  or  Julian  stretched  on  his 
bier,  or  Saul  struck  with  madness,  or  Herod  writhing  under 
the  gnawing  of  the  undying  wrorm,  or  Voltaire  or  Francis 
Newport  breathing  out  with  their  last  curse  their  despairing 
souls,  doomed  to  hell  fire.  Two  or  three  praying  Christians 
assembled  can  open  the  gate  of  heaven,  and  bring  down  the 
Holy  Spirit;  and.  where  he  comes  there  are  "  voices,  and 
thunderings  and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake;"  there  is 
judgment  held,  eternal  destinies  are  settled,  eternal  interests 
gained  or  lost,  and  souls  sealed  for  heaven,  and  put  forever 
beyond  the  subtlety  and  power  of  earth  and  hell,  or  sealed 
for  destruction  and  given  up  to  reprobation  and  damnation 
irrecoverable,  "hopeless  as  the  decisions  of  eternity  and  the 
reversion  of  doom."  And  you  may  believe  this  or  not ;  this 
does  not  change  the  case ;  eternity  will  reveal  it  ere  long. 
Look  at  the  Christian  institutions  of  the  day.  May  God  keep 
us  humble  and  contrite  while  wTe  ask,  Are  not  Bible,  Mis- 
sionary, Tract,  Temperance,  and  many  other  Societies  on 
either  continent,  the  fruits,  the  consequences,  of  such  meet- 


MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED    BRETHREN.        313 

ings  7  Do  they  not  now,  as  it  wore,  live  by  them  ?  Reason- 
ing from  what  they  have  done,  tell  me  whether  they  will  not 
ultimately  change  the  moral  aspect  of  this  entire  world,  and 
whether  kings,  or  wise  or  mighty  men,  will  be  able  to  resist 
them  !  Be  careful ,  and  despise  not  a  couple  of  ignorant, 
praying  Christians,  nor  dare  to  slumber  while  they  pray  ! 
They  are  handling  the  undying  spark  from  the  altar  in 
heaven;  if  they  cast  it  into  the  mine,  there  is  no  telling 
where  the  resistless  explosion  will  stop. 

But  we  lose  sight  of  our  travellers.  It  is  again  about  full 
moon,  and  the  nights  are  cool  and  delightful.  During  the 
night  our  pilgrims  started  ;  and,  as  the  morning  dawns,  they 
ascend  in  small  companies  on  every  side  of  the  mountain. 
There  were  the  eleven  disciples,  all  the  believing  relatives  of 
our  Lord,  Lazarus  and  his  sisters,  Joseph  of  Arimathea  and 
Nicodemus,  a  number  of  converted  Samaritans,  Roman  offi- 
cers, Greek  proselytes,  and  many  from  the  various  surround- 
ing countries,  whom  Christ  had  healed,  and  who  believed  on 
him. 

As  they  mount  up  beyond  the  inhabited  base  of  the  moun- 
tain, the  region  becomes  more  and  more  still  and  devotional. 
All  nature  seems  to  rest  in  contemplation,  and  to  be  prepar- 
ing to  meet  the  rising  sun,  her  king,  adorned  with  the 
jewelry  of  a  rich,  refreshing  dew.  By  and  by,  the  lively 
quail  begins,  in  the  deep  clefts  of  the  high  lime-rock,  to  call 
km  little  neighbors  to  devotion  and  labor.  A  solitary  lark  or 
two  are  already  warbling  in  the  air  hovering  about  the  moun- 
tain-top. The  wakeful  birds  here  and  there  prepare  their 
voices  for  the  morning  hymn,  and  the  stork  on  the  inaccess- 
ible peak  bestirs  herself  to  guide  the  concert.  There  is  much 
of  sacred  beauty  in  simple  nature,  and  happy  the  man  who 
can  walk  abroad  alone  and  open  his  heart  wide,  that  God  may 
27 


314        MEETING    OF   THE   FIVE    HUNDRED    BRETHREN. 

fill  it  with  all  the  wonder,  delight  and  praise,  for  which  his 
perfect  and  mighty  works  call  so  mightily.  Our  pilgrims 
arrive  on  the  summit,  issuing,  about  sunrise,  from  different 
points  of  the  forest.  Could  I  but  describe  to  you  now  their 
meeting,  their  salutations,  their  joy,  their  love  !  But  I  can- 
not. No  doubt  many  were  delightfully  surprised,  too,  to  see 
a  friend,  a  brother,  a  sister,  an  aged  father,  a  decrepid 
mother,  unexpectedly  in  the  pious  circle.  "Why!  are  you 
here,  also  ?  I  thought  you  were  a  mortal  enemy  to  our 
heavenly  Lord,  and  to  all  his  people.  What  brought  you 
here,  I  pray?"  A  mute  embrace,  a  blush,  a  trickling  tear, 
were  the  answer.  But  what  surprised  all  of  them  most  was, 
no  doubt,  the  large  number  that  came  together.  But  a  few 
weeks  after  our  Lord's  ignominious  death,  after  a  few  appear- 
ances, before  the  Pentecost-day  even,  "  more  than  five  hun- 
dred brethren  "  !  0,  the  power  of  divine  grace  !  G,  the 
resistless  charms  of  the  cross  !  There  are  some  here  who 
know  what  such  a  meeting  means.  It  is  a  foretaste  of 
heaven,  and  cannot  be  described. 

They  are  assembled,  they  are  gathered  close  together,  they 
are  yet  pressing  each  other's  hands,  when  the  Lord  appears  ! 
This  was  the  interesting  moment, —  the  meridian  height  of 
the  scene.  An  awful  silence  ensued.  Love  and  reverence 
bow  them  to  the  dust ;  they  surround  him,  some  kneeling, 
some  lying  on  their  faces,  some  looking  up  to  him  with  min- 
gled rapture  and  self-abasement.  It  is  a  scene  of  holy  and 
overwhelming  interest.  They  know  not  what  they  are  doing. 
But  there  was  so  much  of  the  heavenly,  of  the  angelic  and  the 
divine,  in  his  appearance,  that  they  experience  something  of 
that  prostration  of  nature  which  always  attended  the  special 
divine  presence  through  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 
"  And  when  they  saw  him,"  says  Matthew,  "  they  worshipped 


MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN.        315 

him  "  prostrate,  "  but  some  doubted."  And  here  it  is  where 
another  interesting  portion  of  Holy  Writ  gives  and  receives 
light  and  significance,  as  we  shall  briefly  show. 

The  Evangelists  (Matthew  17,  Mark  9  and  Luke  9)  state 
that  during  the  second  year  of  our  Lord's  ministry  he  once 
took  with  him  Peter,  John  and  James,  up  into  a  high  moun- 
tain. There  Moses  and  Elijah  appeared ;  our  Lord's  whole 
aspect  was  changed  and  glorified ;  a  voice  from  heaven  was 
heard  declaring  him  the  Son  of  God,  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 
The  disciples  were  prostrated  and  overcome  by  the  scene 
till  it  was  over, —  till  Moses  and  Elijah  disappeared  again, 
and  Christ  resumed  his  usual  appearance,  and  spake  to  them 
in  the  same  kind  and  familiar  manner  as  before.  On  descend- 
ing from  the  mountain,  "  he  charged  them  that  they  should 
tell  no  man  what  things  they  had  seen,  till  the  Son  of  Man 
were  risen  from  the  dead."  Why  they  should  tell  it  then, 
was  dark  to  them.  *  They,  of  course,  obeyed,  and  kept  the 
facts  in  their  minds,  as  a  mysterious  thing,  to  which  futurity 
was  to  give  them  the  key.  This  key  was  given  to  them  in 
the  occurrence  of  the  morning  of  which  we  now  speak.  The 
appearance  of  Christ  was  so  heavenly  as  to  prostrate  the 
whole  assembly.  Trembling  nature  testified  that  God  was 
present.  But  was  this  God  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ?  Was 
the  personage  they  saw  their  beloved  Master?  They  had 
never  seen  him  thus,  not  even  after  his  resurrection ;  perhaps 
not  even  the  eleven  had  seen  him  thus.  No  wonder  that 
some  of  the  assembly  doubted.  And  thus  the  moment  had 
come  when  Peter,  James  and  John,  could  arise  and  testify, 
"  Yes,  brethren,  it  is  He  you  see.  We  have  seen  him  so 
before.  A  year  and  a  half  ago,  and  on  this  very  spot  (for  it 
was  probably  the  same)  we  saw  him  so,  and  his  appearance 
was  no  less  superior,  no  less  awful,  then,  than  it  is  now,  nor 


316        MEETING   OF   THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN. 

was  our  amazement  and  terror  less  great  than  yours  is  at  this 
moment.  Let  us,  therefore,  dismiss  every  other  thought, 
and  listen  to  what  our  Lord  has  to  say."  "  Lord,  speak,  for 
thy  servants  hear,"  was  the  universal  voice;  and  this  brings 
us  to  the  second  part  of  our  Meditation. 

II.  Having  already  consumed  so  much  time  in  the  first 
part  of  my  discourse,  I  am  compelled  to  study  brevity, 
though  there  is  a  world  of  matter  before  me  now. 

There  is  a  seeming  contradiction  in  the  story  of  our  text, 
which  we  must  first  remove.  In  introducing  us  to  this  scene, 
Matthew  mentions  the  eleven  alone,  and  Mark  refers  to  them, 
and  to  them  only.  The  words  of  Christ,  on  the  other  hand, 
are  evidently  not  to  be  limited  to  them.  Those  in  which 
miraculous  powers  are  promised  were  common  to  many  other 
believers  in  the  apostolic  age,  and  are  confined  only  to  a  cer- 
tain period,  but  not  to  certain  persons ;  and  those  words 
which  contain  the  command  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the 
entire  world,  and  the  promise  of  his  presence  to  the  end  of 
time,  evidently  point  to  the  church  of  Christ  in  every  age. 
The  solution  is,  that  the  eleven  are  thus  particularly  men- 
tioned, because  they  were  prominently,  though  not  exclu- 
sively, addressed.  By  doing  this,  Christ  established  or 
confirmed  their  apostolic  character  before  all  the  assembly, 
and  settled  forever  who  were  to  be  the  ultimate  authority  in 
the  church.  This  circumstance  accounts  at  once  for  the 
fact,  that  none  of  the  converted  relatives  of  Christ,  none  of 
the  converted  Priests  or  Pharisees,  none  of  those  believers 
even  who  themselves  wrought  miracles,  ever  so  much  as 
attempted  to  become  the  infallible  leaders  of  the  church, 
or  to  vie  with  the  eleven  in  authority;  but  willingly  and 
faithfully  followed  their  directions,  whatsoever  they  were. 

But  let  us  hear  what  he  says.      The  assertion  of  his  own 


MEETING    OF   THE   FIVE    HUNDRED    BRETHREN.         317 

character,  the  great  duty  and  the  great  privilege  of  the 
church, —  this  is  the  three-fold  point  of  view  under  which  his 
weighty  address  will  best  be  ranked. 

"All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth." 
All  depends  here  upon  the  question,  What  is  the  meaning  of 
"  heaven  and  earth,"  in  the  language  of  Scripture?  We  are, 
doubtless,  not  to  give  it  a  meaning  foreign  to  Scripture  usage, 
unless  we  mean  to  handle  the  word  of  God  deceitfully.  A 
few  passages  will  put  this  subject  beyond  every  candid  or 
reasonable  doubt. 

It  means  the  visible  creation,  without  any  limitation  what- 
soever. ' '  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the 
earth."  (Genesis  1:1.)  Here  heaven  and  earth  are  the  uni- 
verse most  plainly;  heaven  includes  the  stars,  &c, —  all  the 
systems  of  heavenly  bodies  visible  to  us;  —  "  Let  there  be 
stars  in  the  firmament  of  heaven."  (Genesis  1:  14.)  "Thus 
the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  finished,  and  all  the  hosts  of 
them."  (Genesis  2:1.)  "The  most  high  God,  possessor  of 
heaven  and  earth."  (Genesis  14  :  19,  22.)  "  Till  heaven 
and  earth  pass  away,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass 
from  the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled."  (Matthew  5  :  18.)  "  The 
Lord  (Jehovah)  who  made  heaven  and  earth."  (Psalms  115, 
121,  124,  134,  146.  Isaiah  37.  Jeremiah  32.  Acts  4, 
and  in  other  places.)  The  same  sense  it  has  in  a  multitude 
of  passages,  as  every  child  knows.  Again,  it  means  the 
habitations  of  the  moral  and  intelligent  beings  in  this  and  in 
the  spiritual  world.  "He  doeth  according  to  his  will  in  the 
army  of  heaven  (angels  and  saints),  and  among  the  inhabit- 
ants of  earth."  (Daniel  4  :  15.)  "Hear,  0  heavens,  and 
give  ear,  0  earth,  for  Jehovah  speaketh."  (Isaiah  1 :  2.) 
Here  the  universe  is  addressed,  but  with  special  regard  to 
the  intelligent  inhabitants  of  either  world.  "  Let  heaven  and 
27* 


318         MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN. 

earth  praise  him."  (Psalms  69  :  34.)  Heaven  is  the  spirit- 
ual world  conceived  of  under  the  category  of  place.  "He 
(God)  will  hear  from  his  holy  heaven  "  (Psalms  20  :  6)  ; 
that  is,  from  the  world  of  spirits,  where  he  eminently  dwells, 
being  a  Spirit.  "Heaven  is  my  throne,  and  earth  my  foot- 
stool." (Isaiah  66  :  1.)  "  Do  I  not  fill  heaven  and  earth  ? 
says  Jehovah."  (Jeremiah  23  :  24.)  Angels  always  come 
down  from  heaven ;  the  universality  of  Jehovah's  reign  is, 
therefore,  expressed  thus  :  ' '  Thou  art  God  of  all  kingdoms, 
thou  hast  made  heaven  and  earth."  (2  Kings  19  :  15. 
2  Chronicles  2  :  12.  Nehemiah  9:6);  and  his  supreme 
greatness,  too  high  to  be  reached  by  finite  beings, —  "He  is 
high  as  heaven  ;  what  canst  thou  do  ?"  But  I  must  desist. 
Passages  of  this  kind  are  too  many,  and  too  familiar,  to  make 
it  necessary  to  cite  more.  To  say  that  heaven  means  the 
church,  and  earth  the  wicked  world ;  or,  that  heaven  is  the 
church  in  the  other  world,  and  earth  the  church  in  this, 
and  the  like  pitiful  contrivances  to  escape  the  influence  of  an 
unwelcome  truth,  is  a  forlorn  endeavor.  An  unqualified 
denial  is  all  I  have  for  them.  No  !  this  is  my  only  argu 
ment,  until  I  see  more  than  great  swelling  words,  and  whole- 
sale assertions  without  proof. 

"All  power,"  etc.  etc.  —  Do  you  know  now  what  this 
means  ?  Do  you  make  it  less  than  omnipotence  1  If  so,  let 
us  see  your  proofs ;  and  if,  from  Genesis  to  Revelation,  you 
find  a  passage  fit  for  your  purpose,  you  are  the  first  who 
ever  found  it,  and  I  give  up  my  argument  at  once.  Omnip- 
otence, then,  is  its  import.  But  that  omnipotence  is  an  abso- 
lutely divine  attribute,  and  that  one  divine  attribute  cannot 
exist  in  a  being  without  all  the  others,  and  that  the  being 
who  possesses  them  is  God ;  —  to  deduce  and  prove  all  this, 
falls  into  the  department  of  philosophy,  and  can  be  carried 


MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN.         319 

through  triumphantly.      But  I  waive  this  here*  because  it 
does  not  enter  necessarily  into  my  purpose. 

You  remember  what  I  said  respecting  the  exalted  appear- 
ance of  Christ ;  and  now,  how  these  mighty  words  will  cor- 
respond with  it,  is  too  plain  to  escape  your  notice  ;  but  what 
follows  corresponds  no  less  with  it.  An  assertion  of  exten- 
sive import  he  has  made  respecting  himself;  a  commission  of 
immense  extent  follows.  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  Gospel  to.  every  creature."  Salvation  or  ruin 
shall  be  the  unavoidable  alternative  attending  your  adminis- 
tration. Baptize  them,  and  teach  them  to  observe  all  which  I 
commanded  you.  Convert  the  whole  world  !  Truly  a  com- 
mission which  needed  to  be  supported  by  the  omnipotence  of 
Him  who  gave  it.  To  any  other  one  than  an  omnipotent 
Being,  reasonable  men  would  have  answered,  and  rightly, 
Are  you  beside  yourself,  or  do  you  think  that  we  are  so,  to 
give  us  such  an  absurd  charge  as  this  ?  Who  will  go  over 
the  world  and  change  the  hearts  of  selfish  men  to  the  love 
and  performance  of  precepts  as  spiritual  and  self-denying  as 
those  which  w%  are  to  teach  them  1  Has  ever  a  sober,  think- 
ing man,  has  ever  any  philosopher,  thought  of  such  a  thing  ? 
Yea,  has  ever  any  dreaming  theorist  been  extravagant  enough 
to  think  of  it  ?  Has  Pythagoras,  Socrates,  or  Plato,  or  Con- 
fucius, been  bold  enough  to  think  of  a  scheme  like  this  ? 
You  say  they  were  not  enlarged  enough  for  the  conception ; 
they  were  uncommissioned  of  Heaven.  Be  it  so.  Has  ever 
Moses  thought  or  talked  of  such  a  work  ?  —  Never.  The 
prophets,  indeed,  speak,  and  with  transcending  beauty,  to  be 
sure,  of  a  golden  age  of  the  world ;  but  they  merely  speak 
of  it  as  coming,  and  none  of  them  has  ever  entertained  the 
extravagant  notion  of  carrying  it  into  execution,  and  that  by 
a  handful  of  ignorant  and  despised  men,  as  we  are.     Never  ! 


320         MEETING    OF   THE  FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN. 

never  !  —  we  shall  not,  we  cannot,  comply.  Thus  they  might 
have  said,  had  the  charge  come  from  a  mere  man.  But  this 
is  not  the  case.  The  charge  came  from  one  who  takes  no 
refusal ;  and  who  can,  and  does,  give  with  the  command  the 
ability  to  perform,  though  it  be  to  create  worlds.  "  All 
po^Yer  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth ;"  "  Go  ye 
into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature." 
Ah,  to  be  sure,  this  harmonizes  well ;  and  the  retrospect  of 
eighteen  hundred  years,  and  especially  the  short  but  rich  and 
wonderful  history  of  evangelical  Missions  —  (may  God  take 
all  the  glory  to  himself!)  —  these  are  commentaries  upon  the 
texts  quoted,  which  outstrip  the  boldest  flight  of  fancy. 

"  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature."  — You  see  the  extent  and  beauty  of  the  commis- 
sion. It  is  a  soul-stirring  conception,  broad  as  the  universe, 
deep  as  the  fathomless  ocean,  delightful  as  the  untarnished 
bow  of  mercy  in  the  summer  cloud.  Tell  me  no  more  of  the 
gigantic  greatness  of  ancient  times  and  generations.  I  know 
they  were  gigantic,  while  the  self-conceited  vulgar  of  these 
days  "of  small  things"  have  dwindled  into  dwarfs.  I  know 
there  is  no  Alexander,  no  Sesostris,  among  your  monarchs ; 
and  their  cabinets  are  chess-boards,  where  shrewdness,  not 
tvisdom,  is  displayed.  The  time  of  heaven-inspired  poets  is 
gone  by,  and  our  philosophers  are  full  of  themselves,  and 
void  of  God  and  divine  things.  I,  too,  have  read  of  the 
Babylonian  edifice,  whose  remains  have  outlived  four  thou- 
sand years  ;  I  have  heard  of  the  Rhodian  image,  the  Ephe- 
sian  temple,  the  city  of  hundred  gates,  the  Catacombs  and 
Pyramids,  and  the  excavated  mountains  of  India.  These 
efforts  betray  vast  conceptions,  no  doubt,  and  the  men  who 
made  them  knew  how  to  calculate  on  a  bold  scale,  and  then 
to  set  about  their  work  with  an  earnestness  that  deserves 


MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN.         321 

high  credit  while  the  earth  shall  stand.  It  is,  indeed,  grand 
to  think  what  notions  the  head  of  man  can  give  birth  to,  and 
what  his  hands  can  mould,  frame,  or  rear.  But  his  mastery 
over  brute  force  or  mechanical  power  is,  after  all,  but  a  frac- 
tion of  his  native  excellency,  and  inferior  in  kind.  And  the 
pride  of  tyranny,  which  prompted  all  the  great  efforts  of  anti- 
quity, and  the  filth  of  immorality  and  the  superstition  which 
cling  to  their  productions  of  art,  and  to  their  nervous  writ- 
ings, are  matters  of  deep  sorrow  to  the  lover  of  mankind,  and 
forbid  his  desire  to  roll  back  gone-by  centuries  ;  and,  blessed 
be  God,  he  need  not  roll  them  back  !  Why  should  he  ?  Do 
you  desire  to  be  engaged  in  a  great  work?  —  Here  is  the 
greatest  work  the  world  ever  saw, —  the  illumination  and 
salvation  of  a  world  !  Do  you  want  vastness  ?  —  Here  it  is. 
It  could  not  be  vaster.  Do  you  want  intellectuality  ?  —  Here 
it  is.  It  could  not  be  more  intellectual.  Do  you  want  use- 
fulness?—  Here  is  usefulness  in  its  perfection.  Do  you  want 
what  the  admired  works  of  antiquity  lack  —  simplicity,  phi- 
lanthropy, moral  beauty,  heavenly  temper,  god-like  fruits  to 
others,  and  the  noblest  conceivable  self-reward  ;  that  is, 
reward  undeserved  and  unsought,  most  freely  bestowed,  yet 
surer  than  the  rising  of  the  sun,  most  honorable  both  to  the 
giver  and  to  the  receiver  ?  —  Here,  here  they  are,  all  bound 
up  indissolubly  in  the  great  commission  which  Christ  gave 
to  his  little  flock,  on  the  solitary  mountain  in  Galilee,  when 
he  said,  "All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in 
earth  ;"  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to 
every  creature."  But,  my  friends,  this  is  a  suitable  place 
for  you  to  stop,  and  to  ask  yourselves,  one  by  one,  here, 
What  am  I  engaged  in  ?  Am  I  engaged  in  this  great  work  ? 
I  need  not  be  a  minister,  or  missionary,  for  that.  Do  I  pos- 
sess the  kingdom  of  God  in  myself,  and  do  I  promote  it  in 


322        MEETING   OF   THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN. 

the  world  as  I  walk  along  in  the  path  of  my  duty  ?  Perhaps 
you  say,  "lam  but  an  insignificant  individual, —  what  can  I 
alone  do?"  Who  wants  you  to  do  something  alone  ?  I,  too. 
am  but  small ;  but,  if  I  must  be  a  drop,  I  will  be  a  drop  in 
the  ocean  of  God's  universal  kingdom,  and  not  in  the  filthy 
puddle  of  this  world.  0,  my  friends,  what  are  you  about? 
Your  souls  are  indeed  drops  fallen  from  the  clouds  of  heaven ; 
shall  they  die  in  the  stagnant  pool  of  selfishness  and  moral 
pollution,  or  in  uninterested  sloth  and  thoughtlessness?  or 
shall  they  swell  the  tide  of  Ezekiel's  river,  rolling  over  this 
world  with  healing  power  ?  Ah  !  think, —  make  up  your 
mind, —  life  and  death  are  before  you,  and  life  and  death 
only.  A  third  choice  you  have  not.  It  is  no  pleasure  to 
perish  in  company. 

But  we  hasten  to  the  close.  The  great  privilege  of  the 
church  is  the  legacy  of  the  continual  presence  of  her 
Almighty  Lord  and  Head.  The  first  part  of  Christ's 
promises,  awarding  to  some  the  gift  of  miracles,  is  best  com- 
mented upon  by  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  and  the  authentic 
history  of  the  church.  It  related  to  those  to  whom  after- 
wards that  talent  was  committed,  and  to  none  else.  Its  pur- 
pose was  to  put  the  seal  of  heaven  upon  the  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel ;  that  seal  was  put  on,  and  the  testimony  of  sacred  and 
profane  history  on  the  subject  furnishes  us  with  materials  for 
a  rational  conclusion  equally  good  and  imperious  with  the 
evidence  of  our  own  senses.  Every  sober,  well-trained 
reasoner  knows  this.  But  the  second  part  of  the  promise, 
being  of  equal  extent  with  the  command  just  noticed,  has  the 
same  immediate  practical  interest  to  every  true  believer  under 
heaven,  till  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his 
Father. 

"Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 


MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED    BRETHREN.        323 

world."  I  am  fully  aware,  and  I  willingly  grant,  that  there 
is  a  mental  presence  in  some  place  remote  from  us,  which  may 
be  predicted  of  any  man.  Says  Paul  to  the  Corinthians, 
"For  I  verily,  as  absent  in  the  body,  but  present  in  spirit, 
have  judged  already  as  though  I  were  present,  concerning 
him  that  hath  so  done  this  deed."  This  is  a  presence  in 
imagination  most  clearly,  the  apostle  imagining  himself  in  the 
midst  of  the  church  of  Corinth  to  excommunicate  a  young 
man  who  was  guilty  of  gross  misconduct.  So  he  says  to  the 
Colossians  (2  :  5),  "For  though  I  be  absent  in  the  flesh,  yet 
am  I  with  you  in  the  spirit,  joying  and  beholding  your  order, 
and  the  steadfastness  of  your  faith  in  Christ."  Nobody  has 
ever  inferred  from  these  passages  that  Paul  was  omnipresent ; 
for  they  are  given  in  such  a  connection  as  to  prevent  every 
mistake,  and  to  show  that  they  are  to  be  taken  in  the  same 
sense  in  which  we  say,  Distance  does  not  separate  true 
friends ;  we  are  daily  among  our  beloved  in  lands  remote, 
&e.  Another  presence  is  the  prophetic  one  in  a  vision.  When 
Gehazi  ran  after  Naaman,  whom  Elisha  had  healed  from 
leprosy  without  taking  any  reward  of  him,  and  when  he  took 
money  and  raiment  from  the  Syrian,  and  hid  it,  and  then 
came  before  his  master,  prepared  to  play  the  hypocrite  and 
the  liar,  his  master  said  to  him,  "  Went  not  mine  heart  with 
thee  when  the  man  turned  again  from  his  chariot  to  meet 
thee  1  Is  this  a  time  to  receive  money,  and  to  receive  gar- 
ments, and  olive-yards  and  vineyards,  and  sheep  and  oxen, 
and  men-servants  and  maid-servants  ?  The  leprosy  therefore 
of  Naaman  shall  cleave  unto  thee  and  unto  thy  seed  forever." 
This  was  a  presence  in  the  prophetic  vision,  and  nobody  ever 
fell  into  the  mistake  of  supposing  Elisha  present  everywhere 
on  earth,  and  at  all  times,  till  the  world  shall  end. 

A  widely  different  impression  is  made  by  those  passages  of 


324        MEETING   OF  THE  FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN. 

the  kind  when  Jehovah  is  the  subject.  Exodus  3 :  12, 
Jehovah  says  to  Moses,  "  Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee ;" 
that  is,  in  the  whole  work  of  Israel's  deliverance  from  the 
Egyptian  bondage.  Deuteronomy  31 :  6,  8,  Moses  says  to 
Joshua,  "  Be  strong  and  of  good  courage.  Fear  not,  nor  be 
afraid  of  them.  For  Jehovah  thy  God,  he  it  is  that  doth  go 
with  thee  ;  he  will  not  fail  thee  nor  forsake  thee.''  Joshua 
1 :  5,  Jehovah  himself  says  to  Joshua,  "As  I  was  with 
Moses,  so  will  I  be  with  thee ;  I  will  not  fail  thee  nor  forsake 
thee."  "  Be  not  afraid,"  this  is  the  divine  promise  to  Jere- 
miah (1 :  8),  "Be  not  afraid  of  their  faces,  for  I  am  with 
thee  to  deliver  thee,  saith  Jehovah."  Similar  is  the  promise 
of  Christ  to  Paul  on  the  road  to  Damascus.  "I  am  Jesus 
whom  thou  persecutest."  Arise  !  I  have  appeared  unto  thee, 
to  make  thee  a  minister  and  apostle  both  of  the  things  which 
thou  hast  seen  and  of  those  thou  shalt  yet  experience.  And 
I  will  deliver  thee  from  the  people  and  the  nations  unto  whom 
now  I  send  thee,  etc.  All  these  promises  bespeak  a  presence 
widely  differing  from  that  of  Paul  among  the  Corinthians  and 
Colossians  in  the  passages  referred  to,  or  of  Elisha  with  his 
servant  Gehazi.  But  by  far  the  most  emphatic  and  extensive 
one  of  the  kind  is  the  promise  of  Christ  before  us :  "  Lo,  I 
am  with  you  every  day,  or  all  the  days  {rename,  ras  y^x1**))  to 
the  very  consummation  of  time  (zm  ^s  awxeXe'ias  xov  diffvoi). 
And  now  add  to  this  that  he  who  gave  the  promise  implying 
omnipresence  had  professed  with  the  same  breath  to  be  omnip- 
otent, and  that  with  the  same  breath  he  had  given  a  charge 
to  his  disciples  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  man,  woman  and 
child, —  a  charge  which  runs  down  to  the  end  of  time,  and 
which  presented  difficulties  altogether  unconquerable  by  flesh 
and  blood, —  and  then  say  whether  this  promise,  which  must 
correspond  to  the  profession  and  the  charge  preceding,  is  not 


MEETING   OF  THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN.        325 

the  grandest  and  weightiest  of  this  kind  on  all  the  pages  of 
the  sacred  records,  from  Genesis  to  Revelation. 

I  close  unwillingly  and  reluctantly.  I  would  I  had 
another  hour,  at  least,  for  practical  remarks,  both  to  the 
professed  friends  of  Christ  and  to  those  who  aim  at  a  ruinous 
neutrality. 

The  object  of  our  Lord,  in  this  remarkable  assembly,  was 
now  obtained.  All  his  people  knew  who  he  was,  their  great 
duty  in  his  service,  their  debt  of  love ;  their  relation  to  the 
world  was  clear  to  them,  and  all  that  was  cheering  and  quick- 
ening was  richly  given  to  them  in  the  great  promise.  The 
character  of  the  apostles  was  established,  and  that  church  was 
organized  which  will  prove  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth,  which 
the  gates  of  hell  will  not  overcome,  and  which  will  stand  till 
eternity  shall  be  no  more. 

All  flesh  is  grass,  and  the  hypocrite  is  lighter  than  vanity, 
and  is  as  nothing.  But  before  the  true  believer  let  the  kings 
of  the  earth  tremble,  and  the  wise  stop  their  mouths ;  for  the 
Lord  Almighty  is  about  him,  and  will  plead  his  cause.  Let 
the  sincere  Christian  remember  that  he  is  never  alone,  but 
that  the  Mahanaim  of  the  Almighty  are  his  van  and  his 
rearward,  and  surround  him  on  the  right  and  on  the  left. 
But  this,  also,  is  never  to  be  forgotten,  namely,  that  the 
presence  of  God  is  attached  to  the  work  of  proclaiming  the 
Gospel  to  the  perishing  world  whose  messenger  of  peace  the 
Christian  is  charged  to  be ;  and  that,  whenever  he  presumes  to 
seek  his  own,  the  impenetrable  shield  of  his  protection  is  gone, 
and  the  fiery  darts  of  Satan  may  pierce  his  heart,  and  make  a 
corpse  of  him,  ready  to  be  buried  in  hell. 

Here  is  the  secret  unfolded  why  the  church  has  been  so 
lean  at  different  times.  She  forgot  and  forsook  her  work, 
and  Christ  forsook  her.  But  the  time  is  at  hand  when  she 
28 


326        MEETING   OF   THE  FIVE   HUNDRED   BRETHREN. 

will  rise  in  the  fulness  of  her  strength,  and  sound  the  trumpet 
of  the  Gospel,  to  make  the  earth  tremble,  and  the  heavens 
resound.  Then  shall  the  omnipotent  arm  of  her  Lord  be 
made  bare,  terror  shall  overwhelm  the  persevering  rebel,  and 
the  glory  of  God  shall  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  fill  the 
sea.     Amen. 


XVI. 

THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD. 

And,  being  assembled  together  with  them,  commanded  them  that  they 
should  not  depart  from  Jerusalem,  but  wait  for  the  promise  of  the  Father, 
which,  saith  he,  ye  have  heard  of  me.  For  John  truly  baptized  with 
water  ;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence. 
When  they  therefore  were  come  together,  they  asked  of  him,  saying,  Lord, 
wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the  kingdom  to  Israel  ?  And  he  said 
unto  them,  It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the  times  or  the  seasons  which  the 
Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power.  But  ye  shall  receive  power,  after  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you  :  and  ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me,  both 
in  Jerusalem  and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth.  And  when  he  had  spoken  these  things,  while  they  beheld, 
he  was  taken  up  ;  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight.  And  while 
they  looked  steadfastly  toward  heaven,  as  he  went  up,  behold,  two  men 
stood  by  them  in  white  apparel  ;  which  also  said,  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why 
stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven  ?  This  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up  from 
you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into 
heaven. 

And  behold,  I  send  the  promise  of  my  Father  upon  you  :  but  tarry  ye  in 
the  city  of  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be  endued  with  power  from  on  high.  And 
he  led  them  out  as  far  as.  to  Bethany  ;  and  he  lifted  up  his  hands,  and 
blessed  them.  And  it  came  to  pass,  while  he  blessed  them,  he  was  parted 
from  them  and  carried  up  into  heaven. .  And  they  worshipped  him,  and 
returned  to  Jerusalem  with  great  joy. 

So  then,  after  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  them,  he  was  received  up  into 
heaven  and  sat  on  the  right  hand  of  God.  Acts  1  :  4 — 11.  Luke  24  :  49 
—52.  Mark  16  :  19. 

Once  more  I  must  call  upon  my  hearers  to  accompany  me 
in  my  wanderings  through  Judea  and  Galilee,  while  I  en- 


328         THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD. 

deavor  to  follow  Christ  and  his  little  flock.  With  the  close 
of  this  Meditation  I  shall  dismiss  a  subject  which  I  have 
pursued  for  more  than  a  year,  though  not  without  consider- 
able interruption. 

Near  forty  days  were  now  past  since  the  resurrection  of 
Christ  from  the  dead.  Ho  had  "  showed  himself  alive  after 
his  passion  by  many  infallible  proofs,"  and  was  seen  repeat- 
edly by  many,  under  divers  circumstances,  and  for  purposes 
most  worthy  of  his  pursuit.  All  was  now  accomplished. 
The  church  of  Christ  was  organized,  the  apostles  commis- 
sioned, directions,  promises  and  everything  needful  for  the 
present,  given.  What  the  church  of  Christ  still  needed  was 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  himself 
could  not  be  communicated  till  Christ  was  exalted  and  glori- 
fied. To  pour  out  that  most  precious  gift  of  heaven  belonged 
to  the  glorified  Saviour ;  and  he  must  therefore  be  exalted 
and  glorified,  to  send  down  the  promise  of  his  Father.  With 
this  event  his  earthly  career  and  our  subject  closes,  though 
his  agency  does,  in  fact,  eminently  begin  there. 

Jerusalem,  and  especially  the  Mount  of  Olives,  which  had 
seen  him  in  his  deepest  humiliation,  were  to  see  him  also  in 
his  highest  exaltation.  Thence  he  was  to  ascend  up  to 
heaven.  It  was  very  convenient  for  his  purpose  that  Pente- 
cost was  now  near,  one  of  the  three  great  festivals  when  all 
males  were  to  appear  at  Jerusalem.  The  celebration  of  it 
fell  upon  the  fiftieth  day  after  Passover,  or  Easter,  and  it 
needed  but  a  hint  from  our  Lord  to  induce  the  disciples  to  set 
out  a  little  sooner.  This  course  was  evidently  in  the  highest 
degree  important.  On  the  preceding  great  festival,  when 
thousands  of  people  were  assembled  at  Jerusalem,  Christ  wTas 
condemned  and  murdered ;  and  when  he  rose  lies  were  scat- 
tered among  the  multitude,  saying  that  he  was  nevertheless 


THE   ASCENSION    OF   OUR   LORD.  329 

dead,  but  that  his  corpse  was  stolen  and  carried  away.  On 
the  succeeding  great  festival,  the  operations  of  his  Spirit  were 
to  be  seen  by  the  same  congregation  of  strangers,  and  the 
truth  was  to  be  proclaimed  to  those  upon  whom  outrageous 
and  inconsistent  falsehood  had  been  imposed,  not  many  weeks 
ago.  This  was  decreed  in  the  court  of  heaven.  But,  if  this 
was  to  be  accomplished,  Christ  must  first  return  to  his 
heavenly  home  and  his  throne ;  and,  as  I  remarked,  the  Mount 
of  Olives  was  to  be  the  scene  of  the  important  event. 

The  appearance  of  Christ  to  James,  his  relative  and  after- 
wards bishop  of  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  took  place, 
according  to  Paul  (1  Corinthians  15 :  7),  after  the  meeting 
of  the  five  hundred  brethren,  but  probably  before  the  last 
interview  at  Jerusalem.  As  no  particulars  are  known  on 
that  subject,  we  omit  it.  It  was  probably  in  reference  to  his 
future  office  in  the  church  that  Christ  had  to  give  James 
some  special  directions,  the  details  of  which  were  important 
only  to  him. 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  the  eleven  disciples,  and  several 
other  members  of  the  young  Christian  church,  went  up  to 
Jerusalem  about  a  fortnight  before  Pentecost.  At  Jerusalem 
our  Lord  appeared  to  them  at  least  once  more  before  his 
ascension, —  where,  in  what  house,  is  uncertain.  It  was  then 
that  he  ordered  them  to  wait  at  Jerusalem  "for  the  promise 
of  the  Father," — that  is,  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  for  they  were,  not  many  days  hence,  to  be  merged, 
as  it  were,  in  the  powers  and  the  light  of  heaven,  just  as 
John  the  Baptist  had  merged  or  immersed  many  in  Jordan, 
baptizing  them  unto  repentance. 

On  the  fortieth  day  after  his  resurrection,  they  met  again 
in  some  private  dwelling  at  Jerusalem,  evidently  by  a  special 
appointment  of  their  Lord.  I  take  the  "upper  room"  to 
28* 


330  THE  ASCENSION   OF   OUR 'LORD. 

have  been  the  place  of  meeting ;  not  as  though  our  Saviour 
attached  any  importance  to  places,  nor  considered  one  more 
sacred  than  the  other ;  but  because  that  family  was  near  and 
dear  to  him,  and  there  appears  no  reason  why  we  should  look 
for  another  than  that  endearing  spot.  Then,  when  they  were 
all  together,  he  appeared,  and  for  the  last  time.  They  knew  it 
to  be  the  parting  meeting ;  and  what  question  could  lie  nearer 
to  their  hearts  at  that  moment  than  the  one  they  once  more  pro- 
pounded to  him,  "  Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  again 
the  kingdom  of  Israel?  "  Is  it  this  that  you  wish  us  to  wait 
for  at  Jerusalem  1  Is  not  the  restoration  of  Israel's  kingdom 
the  promise  of  the  Father,  or  is  it  not  at  least  included  in 
it?  The  expression  "at  this  time"  was  going  rather  too 
far,  though  their  anxiety  for  the  coming  of  his  kingdom  was 
perfectly  proper,  and  every  true  Christian  in  every  age  shares 
in  it.  His  answer  therefore  merely  is,  "It  is  not  proper  for 
you  to  inquire  into  times  unrevealed ;  your  privilege  is  to 
receive  the  Holy  Spirit ;  your  duty  to  proclaim  the  truth,  to 
build  up  that  kingdom  whose  coming  you  so  much  wish,  and 
to  prepare  the  way  for  the  King  of  glory.  In  proper  time 
he  will  come  and  will  not  tarry."  He  then  "led  them  out 
as  far  as  Bethany."  It  was  again  early  in  the  morning,  it 
appears,  for  we  do  not  read,  nor  do  we  have  the  least  intima- 
tion, that  the  little  company  was  molested,  or  even  noticed,  by 
anybody.  "  And  he  led  them  out  as  far  as  Bethany,  and  he 
lifted  up  his  hands  and  blessed  them.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
while  he  blessed  them,  he  was  parted  from  them."  (Mark.) 
And  "  while  they  beheld,  he  was  taken  up,  and  a  cloud 
received  him  out  of  their  sight.  And  while  they  looked 
steadfastly  toward  heaven  as  he  went  up,  behold  two  men 
stood  by  them  in  white  apparel,  which  also  said,  Ye  men  of 
Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven  ?     This  same 


THE   ASCENSION    OF   OUR  LORD.  331 

Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven  shall  so  come 
in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven."  (Acts 
1 :  9 — 11.)  "  And  they  worshipped  him,  and  returned  with 
great  joy  unto  Jerusalem  from  the  mount  called  Olivet, 
which  is  from  Jerusalem  a  Sabbath  day's  journey."  (Luke 
24 :  52,  and  Acts  1 :  12.) 

Here  finishes  the  account  of  our  Lord's  days  on  earth. 
My  theme  has  at  the  same  time  reached  its  close. 

Nothing  could,  in  my  view,  be  more  profitable  now,  than 
to  trace  back  the  whole  course  of  our  Meditations,  and  to  get 
a  synoptical  view  of  the  subject  upon  which  we  have  dwelt 
so  long.  But  many  of  my  hearers  were  not  present  at  the 
beginning,  and  the  interval  is  too  great  to  promise  any  suc- 
cess in  such  retrospect.  Moreover,  as  I  have  often  been 
obliged  to  tax  your  patience  by  protracted  discourses,  it  may 
not  be  amiss  if  I  limit  myself  at  this  time  to  the  simple 
utterance  of  my  own  feelings  in  view  of  the  solemn  ground 
over  which  I  have  been  permitted  to  pass  successively  in  the 
course  of  these  Meditations. 

Christ  is  gone  to  heaven,  whence,  on  the  strength  of  his 
own  testimony,  he  came.  This  fact  is  established  on  the  evi- 
dence of  eye-witness  testimony,  better  than  most  of  the  thou- 
sand events  in  general  history,  which  everybody  believes,  and 
which  it  would  be  ridiculous  to  reject.  But,  besides  all  this, 
it-  is  established  by  the  evidence  of  prediction, —  that  is, 
Christ  predicted  this  event  in  connection  with  other  events  of 
his  life,  and  the  others,  some  equally  improbable  and  impene- 
trable according  to  human  foresight,  have  demonstrably  come 
to  pass;  and,  therefore,  if  unsuspicious  witnesses  state  that 
they  saw  him  ascend,  they  ought  so  much  the  rather  to 
receive  credence.  Yea,  more  ;  the  event  or  fact  in  question 
is  predicted,  together  with  other  changes  in  the  life  of  our 


332  THE  ASCENSION   OF   OUR  LORD. 

Lord,  in  books  not  only  demonstrably,  but  necessarily,  much 
older  than  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  and  in  books  the 
untouched,  untarnished  purity  of  whose  text  is  acknowledged 
even  by  those  who  reject  their  inspiration.  How  these  men 
account  for  predictions  contained  in  them,  and  which  the 
ablest  advocates  of  their  cause  never  have  removed  nor 
explained  fairly  on  their  infidel  principles,  is  none  of  my 
business, —  they  may  see  to  that, —  and  their  desire  to  throw 
down  inspiration,  the  golden  ladder  that  unites  earth  and 
heaven,  gives  me  so  little  disturbance  or  concern,  that  I  give 
them  no  thanks  for  sitting  still.  Poor  worms  of  the  dust, 
sincerely  to  be  pitied  !  The  wicked  but  delusive  imaginary 
pleasure  of  injuring  the  truth  is  the  only  reward  of  their 
hard,  ungrateful,  hopeless  task;  for  Satan,  poorer  still  than 
they,  can  give  them  none,  and  truth  can  only  gain  by  their 
efforts,  and  conquer,  but  not  perish. 

Christ  is  gone  to  heaven,  and  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Majesty  on  high.  This  is  a  fact,  like  thousands  of  other 
facts  in  history,  only  more  firmly  established  than  the  rest. 
But,  besides  its  unyielding  evidences,  it  is"  a  fact  eminently 
practical  to  every  individual  in  this  world,  and  in  this  room. 
It  is  not  one  of  those  indifferent  stories,  which  you  may  believe 
or  deny  without  any  consequences  to  yourselves.  No.  There 
is  a  heaven-wide  diiference  between  this  and  common  facts 
and  occurrences,  though  these  may  attract  the  attention  of  all 
the  world,  while  that  lies  neglected  till  the  judgment-day. 

Dividing  my  hearers,  as  I  always  do,  into  converted  and 
unconverted  ones,  I  shall  endeavor  to  allude  briefly  to  their 
respective  relations  to  the  exalted  Saviour  of  sinners,  to  the 
future  Judge  of  all  flesh.  And  it  will  be  quite  worth  your 
while  for  a  few  minutes  to  attend  to  a  subject  to  which  the 
hour  of  'death  and  the  judgment-day  will  impart  an  import- 


THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD.         333 

ance  weightier  and  vaster  than  the  ocean,  and  in  which  all 
the  frail  fabrics  of  your  earthly  concerns  shall  be  shipwrecked, 
and  forever  perish. 

There  is  an  awful  moment  in  the  history  of  Israel  which 
urges  itself  upon  our  attention  at  this  time.  While  Israel 
dwelt  in  the  wilderness,  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram,  and  two 
hundred  and  fifty  princes  among  the  nation,  rebelled  against 
Moses  and  Aaron.  "Ye  take  too  much  upon  you,"  they 
said,  "  seeing  all  the  congregation  are  holy,  every  one  of 
them,  and  the  Lord  is  among  them ;  wherefore,  then,  lift  ye 
up  yourselves  above  the  congregation  of  the  Lord?  "  In  vain 
did  Moses  remind  them  of  their  distinguishing  privileges  in 
the  community ;  in  vain  did  he  call  them  for  brotherly  con- 
sultation. They  refused  to  come,  and  abused  and  grieved  him 
with  charges  equally  unjust  and  bold.  Moses,  conscious  of 
his  innocence  and  his  higher  mission,  was  grieved,  and  said  to 
the  Lord,  ' '  Respect  not  thou  their  offering,  for  I  have  not 
taken  one  ass  from  them,  neither  have  I  hurt  any  one  of 
them."  Then,  laying  aside  willingly  his  authority  as  the 
law-giver  of  the  nation,  he  descended  to  become  a  simple 
defendant,  and  said  to  Korah,  "To-morrow  the  Lord  will 
show  who  are  his  and  who  are  holy ;  and  will  cause  him  to 
come  near  unto  him  (to  be  priest)  ;  even  him  whom  he  hath 
chosen  will  he  cause  to  come  near  unto  him."  "  Be  thou  and 
all  thy  company  before  the  Lord,  thou  and  they,  and  Aaron, 
to-morrow.  And  take  every  man  his  censer,  and  put  incense 
in  them,  and  bring  ye  before  the  Lord  every  man  his  censer, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  censers  ;  thou  also  and  Aaron,  each  of 
you  his  censer."  This  done,  the  glory  of  Jehovah  appeared 
in  the  tabernacle  unto  all  the  people;  "and  the  Lord  spake 
unto  Moses  and  Aaron,  saying,  Separate  yourselves  from 
among  this  congregation,   that  I  may  consume  them  in  a 


334  THE   ASCENSION    OF    OUR   LORD. 

moment."  But  they  fell  upon  their  faces  and  prayed  for 
Israel,  and  their  humble  plea  prevailed ;  for  prayer  is  mighty 
with  God.  And  the  Lord  spake  again  to  them,  and  said, 
•'Speak  unto  the  congregation,  saying,  "  Get  up  from  about 
the  tabernacle  of  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram."  The  separa- 
tion was  readily  made,  tents  round  about  the  rebels  were 
broken  up,  property  and  families  removed,  and  a  wide  chasm 
appeared  round  about.  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram,  proud 
and  hardened  as  every  infidel  is  against  God,  stood  at  the 
doors  of  their-  tents  with  their  families.  "And  Moses  said, 
Hereby  ye  shall  know  that  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  do  all 
these  works,  for  I  have  not  done  them  of  my  own  mind.  If 
these  men  die  the  common  death  of  all  men,  or  if  they  be 
visited  after  the  visitation  of  all  men,  then  the  Lord  hath  not 
sent  me.  But  if  the  Lord  make  a  new  thing,  and  if  the 
earth  open  her  mouth  and  swallow  them  up  with  all  that 
appertain  unto  them,  and  they  go  down  quick  into  the  pit, 
then  ye  shall  understand  that  these  men  have  provoked  the 
Lord."  Nothing  could  have  surpassed  the  solemnity  of  such 
an  appeal  directly  to  God, —  an  appeal  which,  whatsoever  was 
to  be  the  event,  was  necessarily  big  with  important  and  irre- 
trievable consequences.  Moses,  the  man  of  God,  the  medi- 
ator between  Jehovah  and  Israel,  and  their  saviour  from 
reproach  and  bondage  and  idolatry, —  the  man  who  was  in  all 
his  offices  a  type  of  Christ, —  he  had  given  for  years  the  most 
unquestionable  proof  of  his  higher  mission,  and  every  candid 
Israelite  was  convinced  and  clave  to  him.  But  Korah, 
Dathan  and  Abiram,  and  their  company,  whose  hearts  were 
wrong  and  full  of  ambition,  resisted  successfully  the  evidence 
of  Moses'  mission.  It  was  absolutely  impossible  to  give  them 
more  and  better  proofs  than  they  already  had  resisted  and 
rejected ;  and  what  could  Moses  do  more  or  less  rather  than  to 


THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD.  335 

appeal  to  God  himself,  and  commit  the  decision  to  him  in  the 
si<Tht  of  all  Israel?  The  appeal  is  made;  Koran,  Dathan  and 
Abiram,  are  standing  in  their  doors  unmoved,  and  all  the 
people  at  a  distance  look  on  with  awful  interest.  A  few 
moments  of  interval, —  a  sullen,  breathless  silence,  such  as 
precedes  the  dreaded  shock  of  the  earthquake,  when  no  wind 
dares  to  breathe  and  creatures  stand  in  breathless  expecta- 
tion,—  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram's  fates  are  pending,  and  the 
last  seconds  of  repentance  rolling  by ;  —  the  last  one  comes, 
arrives,  passes  unredeemed, —  a  shock,  a  shriek  of  terror, 
and  they  are  gone,  and  Israel  flees  affrighted  from  the  smok- 
ing pit,  saying,  "Lest  the  earth  swallow  us  up  also.  And 
there  came  out  a  fire  from  the  Lord,  and  consumed  the  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  that  offered  incense. " 

But  if  "he  that  despised  Moses'  law  died  without  mercy 
under  two  or  three  witnesses,  of  how  much  sorer  punishment, 
suppose  ye,  shall  he  be  worthy  who  hath  trodden  under  foot 
the  Son  of  God,  and  hath  counted  the  blood  of  the  covenant 
wherewith  he  was  sanctified  an  unholy  thing,  and  hath  done 
despite  unto  the  Spirit  of  grace?" 

In  the  fulness  of  time  Christ  came  in  the  flesh,  according 
to  numerous  and  unquestionable  predictions.  God  bore  testi- 
mony to  his  divine  mission  by  the  true  word  of  prophecy,  and 
audibly  in  the  hearing  of  friends  and  foes ;  and  he  himself, 
whom  his  adversaries  could  not  and  cannot  accuse  of  one  sin, 
bore  witness  of  himself  and  sealed  his  conviction  with  his  own 
blood ;  and  his  numerous  friends,  men  of  sound  mind  and 
upright  character,  gave  him  record  to  their  own  temporal 
harm,  and  persevered  in  their  testimony  unto  death  ;  and  his 
still  more  numerous  enemies  sealed  the  whole  mass  of  evi- 
dence by  their  infernal  conduct,  which  showed  on  what  side 
they  were,  and  by  their  ridiculous  and  self-contradictory  lies. 


336  THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD. 

than  which  they  had  nothing  better  to  defend  their  perishing 
cause  withal.  Christ  rose  from  the  dead,  and  took  his  place 
on  the  throne  of  the  universe.  The  word  of  God  has  been 
attacked  by  every  weapon  of  learning,  wit,  and  fraud ;  and 
the  church  of  Christ,  by  civil  power  and  brute  force  often, 
and  always  by  the  haughty  contempt  of  those  who  professedly 
never  experienced  anything  of  her  heavenly  peace  and  joy. 
But  both  stand  unmoved.  Stand  1  —  No.  They  extend,  they 
spread,  they  pierce  unknown  regions;  they  enlighten  and 
redeem  men's  souls,  in  spite  of  the  world,  and  Satan  and  all 
his  host ;  and  they  are  living  witnesses  that  Christ  liveth  and 
reigneth. 

Here  let  the  sceptic  say  whether  more  evidence  than  this 
could,  according  to  the  laws  of  mind,  have  been  given.  But 
yet  he  believes  not.  Why  not  ?  —  Because  he  will  not  be- 
lieve. He  is  like  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram,  standing  coldly 
and  smiling  in  the  door  of  his  tent.  Not  Moses,  but  Christ, 
has  made  the  last  deciding  appeal,  and  that  to  the  judgment- 
day.  The  sceptic  wants  more  evidence  —  more  evidence.  The 
authentic  history  of  the  life,  the  death,  the  resurrection,  and 
the  ascension  of  Christ,  are  nothing  unto  him ;  the  unaccount- 
able existence  and  continuance  of  his  truth  is  nothing.  But 
Christ  will  sit  unmoved  on  his  throne  till  the  great  day  of 
reckoning  draws  nigh.  The  sceptic  will  have  no  more  evidence 
nor  proof  till  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  appear  in  heaven, 
and  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn  and  weep.  "  An  evil 
and  adulterous  generation  seeketh  after  a  sign,  and  there  shall 
no  sign  be  given  unto  it  but  the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas. 
For,  as  Jonas  was  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  whale's 
belly,  so  shall  the  Son  of  Man  be  three  days  and  three  nights 
in  the  heart  of  the  earth.  The  men  of  Nineveh  shall  rise  up 
in  judgment  with  this  generation,  and  shall  condemn  it,  because 


THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD.  337 

they  repented  at  the  preaching  of  Jonas, —  and,  behold,  a 
greater  than  Jonas  is  here  !  The  queen  of  the  south  shall 
rise  up  in  judgment  with  this  generation,  and  shall  con- 
demn it ;  for  she  came  from  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth 
to  hear  the  wisdom  of  Solomon, —  and,  behold,  a  greater 
than  Solomon  is  here  !  "  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram,  shall 
rise  up  in  judgment  with  the  generation  of  our  sceptics  and 
worldlings,  and  condemn  it ;  because  they  resisted  only  the 
mission  of  Moses, —  and,  behold,  a  greater  than  Moses  is 
here  !  During  the  few  seconds  of  their  fleeting  lives,  their 
case  is  pending,  and  the  acts  of  heaven  are  kept  open.  There 
is  silence  in  heaven  for  every  sinner  by  the  space  of  Jialf  an 
hour,  and  the  sun  lingers  and  lingers  on  the  horizon.  But 
there  is  a  time  when  saving  mercy  retires  weeping,  and  when 
justice  recovers  its  claims ;  when  God  arises,  and  swears,  in 
his  wrath,  that  they  shall  not  enter  into  his  rest ;  and  then 
the  ground  cleaves,  and  they  perish  without  remedy.  Death 
and  the  grave  come,  and  they  descend  quickly  into  the  pit, 
and  come  no  more  till  the  trumpet  of  the  resurrection  pierce 
their  graves.  But,  then,  then  they  will  appear,  though 
they  hide  themselves  in  the  centre  of  the  earth.  0,  what  a 
sight  will  it  then  be,  to  the  multitudes  of  unbelieving  kings, 
statesmen,  philosophers  and  scholars,  rich  and  mighty  men, 
standing  speechless,  confounded  and  condemned,  before  the 
judgment-seat  of  Christ,  whom  they  used  to  consider  a  phan- 
tom, and  infinitely  below  them  !  Then,  too,  they  will  no  more 
say  to  us,  as  they  do  now,  "  Ye  take  too  much  upon  you, 
ye  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  to  condemn  so  many  honorable, 
well-bred  people ;  seeing  all  the  congregation  are  holy,  and 
the  Lord  is  among  them :  wherefore,  then,  lift  ye  up  your- 
selves above  the  congregation  of  the  Lord,  and  think  your- 
selves justified  in  preaching  needless  terror?"  This  they 
29 


338         THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD. 

say  now ;  but  we  have  the  consolation  not  to  have  taken  any- 
thing from  them,  nor  to  have  hurt  one  of  them.  But  then 
they  will  see  that  we  are  the  men  who,  at  the  expense  of 
their  own  comfort  and  popularity,  threw  themselves  between 
them  and  ruin.  Too  late  they  will  acknowledge  that  the 
faithful,  home-spoken  sermon  was  a  token  of  regard  and 
affection  worth  all  the  idle  phraseologies  of  a  deceitful  world. 

This,  then,  is  your  situation, —  mark  it  well !  Christ  sits 
at  the  right  hand  of  God.  The  mass  of  the  evidence  of  his 
divine  mission,  and  the  terms  of  salvation,  and  the  threats  of 
perdition,  encompass  you  as  the  ambient  air,  which  you  cannot 
escape  ijrou  are  standing  there  in  the  door  of  your  tabernacle, 
and  not  Israel,  but  Heaven,  looks  on  your  daring  with  amaze- 
ment and  sorrow.  Your  case  is  awfully  pending;  the 
moments  of  mercy  are  gliding  away,  and  the  day,  the  moment 
of  decision,  draws  nigh,  and  will  soon  be  present,  and  soon 
past,  to  be  recalled  no  more.  0,  that  you  were  wise  to  con- 
sider your  latter  end,  and  make  the  Judge  your  friend  ! 

But  this  situation  need  not  be  yours.  Come  over  to  the 
people  of  God  !  Kiss  the  Son  before  he  be  angry,  and  ye 
shall  not  perish  in  the  way  !  Come  out  of  Egypt,  and  settle 
in  some  corner  of  Goshen,  and  your  change  will  be  as  it  were 
from  midnight  into  noon.  For  there,  where  the  people  of 
God  dwell,  there  subsists  a  relation  to  the  exalted  Saviour 
which  could  not  be  more  delightful. 

Though  ascended  up  to  heaven,  he  is  with  them  alway, 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.  What  I  now  say  is  neither 
delusion  nor  exaggeration,  but  reality  more  sober,  more  real, 
than  this  visible  world ;  for  it  has  the  evidence,  nor  of 
material,  but  of  spiritual  experience.  The  glorified  Saviour  is 
with  his  people.  He  dwells  in  their  dwellings,  as  at  Bethany ; 
he  meets  them  in  the  closet ;  he  guides  their  family  devotion  ; 


THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD.  339 

he  blesses  and  breaks  their  bread  at  table ;  he  prospers  them 
in  their  work,  and  blesses  them  as  they  go  out  and  as  they 
come  in.  In  prosperity  he  tunes  their  hearts  and  voices  for 
the  sacred  song  of  praise,  and  in  affliction  gives  them  the 
spirit  of  prayer  and  the  hope  of  heaven.  He  is  husband  to 
the  widow,  father  to  the  fatherless,  the  all-sufficient  companion 
of  the  solitary,  a  physician  to  the  sick,  a  guide  to  the  pilgrim. 
He  is  the  spiritual  Rock  from  which  they  drink  and  live  for- 
ever ;  the  Manna  that  came  down  from  heaven ;  his  people 
eat,  and  the  second  death  has  lost  its  power.  Everywhere  and 
always  his  particular  providence  is  over  them,  in  the  shady 
cloud  by  day  and  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  till  they  are  in 
the  promised  land.  He  is  their  High  Priest,  and  their  names 
are  written  upon  his  breast ;  and  from  his  countenance  beam 
the  unfading  Urim  and  Thummin,  by  which  they  steer  their 
course  to  heaven.  They  are  not  set  adrift,  like  the  world, 
and  at  the  mercy  of  every  wind,  and  drawing  near  to  the  all- 
devouring  maelstrom  of  the  pit ;  but  their  course  is  to  the  port 
of  endless  rest,  and  Christ  is  at  the  helm.  Until  he  perish, 
they  are.  safe.  Taught  by  Christ,  who  is  their  teacher,  their 
views  of  earth  and  heaven,  of  social,  political,  intellectual, 
moral  and  religious  subjects,  are  spiritualized,  refined,  and 
sanctified  ;  and  their  better  existence  in  union  with  Christ  has 
begun.  Their  sorrows  are  sweet,  and  their  joys  profitable  ; 
all  is  seasoned  with  heavenly  spices,  and  the  hope  of  eternal 
life ;  the  dawning  of  this  eternal  morning  borders  the  interest- 
ing landscape  of  their  pilgrimage,  and  the  end  of  their  faith  is 
the  grand  promise  to  inherit  all  things,  and  to  reign  with 
Christ  forever. 

Shout,  little  flock,  with  the  voice  of  triumph  !  Fear  not ! 
Thy  God  reigneth.  Lift  up  your  heads,  for  your  redemption 
draweth  nigh.     Weep  not   too  much  that  your  beloved  is 


340  THE  ASCENSION  OF  OUR  LORD. 

despised  and  rejected  of  men.  He  is  above  the  sneers  of 
worms  ;  and  his  omnipotent  voice  will  ere  long  hush  into  eter- 
nal silence  the  wit  and  the  wisdom  of  this  world.  "  Yet  a 
little  while,  and  he  that  shall  come  will  come,  and  will  not 
tarry."  "  As  the  lightning  cometh  out  of  the  east,  and 
shineth  even  unto  the  west,  so  shall  (also)  the  coming  of  the 
Son  of  Man  be."  He  will  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father ; 
his  train  shall  fill  the  heavens,  and  the  earth  shall  be  full  of 
his  praise.  Judgment  will  be  held, —  his  eternal  kingdom  will 
commence  in  the  sight  of  all  the  universe ;  your  desire  and 
longing  for  his  honor  will  be  satisfied  perfectly ;  and  not  a 
mind,  in  heaven,  earth  or  hell,  shall  doubt  that  Jesus  reigns. 
In  the  all-revealing  light  of  the  judgment-day,  every  knee 
will  bow  to  him  and  every  tongue  confess  him  Lord,  whether 
it  be  willingly  or  unwillingly,  whether  with  the  shout  of 
sacred  joy  and  praise,  or  with  the  gnashing  of  fruitless 
despair.  Grand,  grand  beyond  human  and  angelic  conception, 
will  be  the  scene,  when  the  proclamation  of  his  eternal  royalty 
shall  make  the  arch  of  heaven  ring,  then  resound  to  earth, 
and  roll  through  the  caverns  of  the  world  of  woe  !  At  the 
judgment-day,  which  is  drawing  nigh  apace,  all  will  and  must 
acknowledge  him ;  and  at  the  great  moment  of  eternal  parting 
the  unnumbered  multitudes  of  the  redeemed  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  Judge,  and  the  lost,  condemned  rebels  on  his  left,  more 
numerous  than  the  sands  on  the  sea-shore,  will  join  in  one 
thundering  chorus,  saying,  "Jesus  reigneth  !  —  almighty  to 
save,  or  to  ruin !  His  name  endureth  forever  !  " —  And  all 
the  universe  will  answer,  Amen ! 


EIGHT  MEDITATIONS 


ON     THE 


SEVENTEENTH  CHAPTER  OF  JOHN, 


I. 

THE  APPROACH. 

These  words  spake  Jesus,  and  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  said, 
Father,  the  hour  is  come  ;  glorify  thy  Son,  that  thy  Son  also  may  glorify 
thee :  as  thou  hast  given  him  power  over  all  flesh,  that  he  should  give 
eternal  life  to  as  many  as  thou  hast  given  him.  —  John  17  :  1,2. 

The  evening  of  the  Passover  was  now  passed,  and  its 
solemn  ceremonies  closed.  The  old  dispensation,  with  all  its 
sacred  rites,  had  done  its  work ;  and  the  evening  sacrifice, 
offered  but  a  few  hours  before,  was  the  last  legitimate  offer- 
ing of  the  kind.  The  Lord's  Supper  was  instituted,  and  the 
new  dispensation,  resting  upon  better  promises,  had  now  risen 
upon  our  world.  The  Law  had  borne  its  terrific  witness  to 
the  holiness  of  God  and  the  radical  corruption  of  mankind  ; 
the  Gospel  now  took  the  lead,  proclaiming  free  and  sovereign 
grace.  Moses  had  retired,  and  Christ  was  about,  within  a 
few  hours  of  sublunary  time,  to  enter  into  the  Holy  of  Holies 
in  heaven,  with  his  own  blood,  an  high  priest  forever,  after 
the  order  of  Melchisedek.  He  had  spoken  nearly  his  last 
words  to  his  disciples,  in  the  three  preceding  chapters  ; 
words  of  great  solemnity,  richness  and  power,  and  of  a  char- 
acter altogether  peculiar,  and  different  from  anything  they 
had  ever  heard  even  from  his  lips.  Judas  Iscariot  had 
stolen  away  several  hours  before,  never  again  to  meet  that 


344  THE   APPROACH. 

blessed  circle.  Jesus  and  his  beloved  ones,  whom  he  loved 
even  unto  the  end,  were  alone ;  his  disciples'  looks  hung  on 
his  blessed  countenance  as  he  spoke ;  gradually  preparing  to 
leave  for  Gethsemane,  the  old,  accustomed  olive-yard,  when 
Jesus,  to  close  the  solemn  season,  "lifted  up  his  eyes  to 
heaven,"  opened  his  lips,  and  sent  up  to  heaven  devout  aspir- 
ations, such  as  they,  nor  man,  nor  angel,  had  ever  heard 
before.  I  speak  advisedly.  At  no  other  earlier  period  of 
the  divine  economy  could  this  prayer  have  been  offered. 
This  was  the  first  moment,  and  the  only  one  till  now,  when 
the  sentiments  of  this  prayer  could  appropriately  be  uttered 
by  Christ ;  and  no  other  being  could  ever  have  made  use  of 
them.  This  prayer  stands  alone,  from  all  eternity  past  to  all 
eternity  to  come. 

Of  its  infinite  beauty,  power  and  importance,  I  say  noth- 
ing. They  may  appear  to  some  degree,  if  it  please  God  to 
open  my  lips  and  your  hearts,  as  we  shall  proceed  now,  and, 
God  permitting,  on  future  occasions,  to  contemplate  its  sacred 
contents.  A  pious  and  distinguished  interpreter  of  the  Bible 
used  to  call  the  Gospel  of  John  "Jesus'  breast,"  a  compari- 
son equally  just  and  beautiful.  But  the  seventeenth  chapter 
of  this  Gospel  will  be  found  to  be  the  crystal  window  in  that 
breast,  through  which  we  are  permitted  to  look  into  the 
innermost  recess  of  his  holy  mind.  May  we  have  eyes  to 
see,  ears  to  hear,  and  hearts  to  understand ! 

I  shall  arrange  my  remarks  under  the  following  three 
heads,  namely : 

I.  The  position  Jesus  assumes. 

II.  The  petition  He  offers. 

III.  The  purposes  He  manifests. 

I.  The  position  which  our  Saviour  assumes,  while  lifting 
up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  is  marked  by  the  very  first  word  he 


THE   APPROACH.  345 

utters, —  "  Father!"  When  we  address  our  superiors,  the 
greater  the  distance  between  them  and  us,  the  more  particu- 
larity is  used  in  the  address,  the  more  words  are  generally 
employed.  The  Scriptures  themselves  suggest  a  great  vari- 
ety of  terms  and  epithets  which  we  are  to  use  when  we 
address  the  majesty  of  heaven.  Between  Christ  and  his 
Father,  the  one  word,  "Father,"  is  enough  in  the  most 
solemn  and  eventful  moment.  Christ  had  designated  God  by 
the  endearing  term  of  Father  more  frequently  than  any  other 
person  recorded  in  Scripture.  But  what  is  worthy  of  special 
remark  is,  that  he  never  called  him  our  Father,  as  he  taught 
his  disciples  to  do ;  no,  neither  in  speaking  to  him  in  prayer, 
nor  in  speaking  of  him  to  others.  Alluding  to  God's  provi- 
dential kindness  towards  the  needy,  he  indeed  says,  "Your 
Father  knoweth  that  ye  have  need  of  all  these  things  ;"  and 
to  the  praying  believer  he  says,  "Thy  Father"  "seeth  in 
secret."  But  he  never  says,  our  Father  knoweth  our  need: 
or,  our  Father  seeth  in  secret.  He  was  in  another  sense 
Son  from  what  we  are,  namely,  the  Son  ;  while  we,  if 
believers,  are  sons  and  daughters,  children,  and  that  in 
Christ.  He  is  the  Son  of  the  Father ;  and  the  nearest 
approach  between  himself  and  us  is  indicated  by  the  expres- 
sion he  once   used, —  "My  Father,   and  your  Father,"* 

*  Were  I  to  paraphrase  this  remarkable  passage  (John  20  :  17)  penned 
by  that  Evangelist,  whose  great  object  it  is  to  set  forth  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  —  not  his  humanity, — and  our  participation  of  the  divine  nature  in 
Christ,  I  should  render  it  thus  :  Such  is  the  connection  which  will  forever 
exist  between  me,  the  risen  Saviour,  and  you,  my  believers,  that  the  Father 
to  whom  I  now  ascend  is  your  Father,  because  he  is  my  Father;  and  my 
God,  because  he  is  your  God.  My  manifestation  in  the  flesh,  the  uniting 
of  myself  into  one.  with  the  body  of  the  church  as  her  inseparable  Head 
(Eph.  1  :  22,  23),  makes  me  forever  participate  in  her  creature  relation 


346  THE   APPROACH. 

not  our  Father.  In  speaking  of  him,  he  calls  him  "  The 
Father,"  as  the  one  to  -whom  the  term  applied  in  a  certain 
sense  exclusively,  and  of  whom  he  asserts  that  none  knoweth 
him,  of  himself,  but  "the  Son;"  that  is,  he  to  whom  the 
term  "Son"  applies  as  it  does  to  no  other  being.  He  fre- 
quently speaks  of  him  to  his  most  confidential  disciples,  call- 
ing him  my  Father.  When  wrestling  in  prayer,  in  deepest 
anguish,  he  appeals  to  the  tenderest  and  holiest  sympathies 
of  that  Father  who  had  all  his  pleasure  in  him,  by  saying, 
uMy  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me;" 
or,  to  express  the  calmest  intimacy,  the  most  perfect  union  of 
feeling  and  purpose,  he  says,  " Father"  —  "Father,  glorify 
thy  name  ! "     And  so  here,  "  Father,  the  hour  is  come." 

True,  when  the  Spirit  of  grace,  speaking  as  it  were  him- 
self in  the  heart  of  the  believer,  almost  supersedes  the  agency 
of  the  latter,  his  groaning  of  unutterable  and  unutterably 
sweet  intimacy  is,  "Abba,  Father!"  But  he  does  this  as 
the  spirit  of  adoption  ;  in  Christ  alone  the  believer  enjoys 
this  privilege,  while  Jesus  says,  "Father"  in  his,  the  Son's 
own  name. 

"The  hour  is  come."  He  reminds  his  Father  of  the  ar- 
rival of  an  hour  predetermined  between  them  from  eternity, 
— known  to  them  both,  and  known  to  no  one  else  in  creation. 
"The  hour  is  come."  This  he  says,  not  as  though  the 
Father  could  forget,  or  could  lose  his  interest  in,  that  "hour." 
No.  But,  as  it  was  the  hour  of  untold  sufferings  to  be  under- 
gone by  the  Son,  in  offering  up  himself,  freely  and  without 
constraint,  for  a  sinful  world,  it  was  meet  that  the  "right- 
compare  1  Cor.  15  :  28),  and  her  in  my  eternal  relation  to  the  Sacred 
Trinity,  proper  allowance  being  made  for  the  eternal  difference  between 
the  Creator  of  all,  and  the  most  privileged  creature  of  his  hand,  the 
chosen  object  of  his  tenderest  and  strongest  affection. 


THE   APPROACH.  347 

eous  Father  M  should,  in  the  exercise  both  of  holy  sympathy 
and  justice,  leave  it  to  the  Son  first  to  recognize  that  hour, 
and  to  present  himself  for  the  dread  expiation  it  demanded. 
Here  the  right  of  precession  'belongs  to  the  Sm,  and  it  is 
the  Father's  delight  that  he  should  have  it.  They  tico  are 
one,  and  most  particularly  and  perfectly  one  about  that 
"hour"  "The  hour  is  come,"  says  the  Son,  to  pay  the 
debt  of  a  world,  to  bear  the  wrath  of  an  offended  God,  the 
curse  of  the  violated  law  ;  to  be  bruised  of  Jehovah ,  smit- 
ten, stricken  of  God;  to  be  put  to  grief  by  infinite  good- 
ness, harassed  by  the  powers  of  darkness,  abused,  scourged, 
mocked,  reviled,  trampled  upon,  by  infuriated,  tiger-hearted, 
wretches  set  on  fire  of  hell,  and  all  that  till  the  debt,  the 
enormous  debt  of  sin,  be  cancelled,  and  all  u  finished," — 
then  to  die,  suspended  on  the  accursed  tree !  That  "  hour 
is  come,"  Father,  and  I  am  ready ;  delay  not  thou  !  I  have 
signed  the  deed ;  the  payment  is  to  be  made  with  my  blood, 
mine  own  "  soul "  laid  upon  the  altar  as  "  an  offering  for 
sin,"  and  "poured  out"  "unto  death."  Demand  this 
blood,  let  this  soul  be  poured  out ;  for  the  hour  is  come,  and 
1"  am  here.  Arise,  and  ask,  and  I  will  pay,  even  unto  the 
last  farthing  !  This  position  is  morally  grand  beyond  con- 
ception or  utterance. 

But  there  is  another  particular  to  be  noticed  in  the  position 
of  Christ.  Christ  is  conscious  of  a  reciprocation  and  inter- 
change existing  between  himself  and  the  Father,  and  that 
at  this  hour,  with  which  his  own  deepest  humiliation  com- 
menced. 

"Glorify  thy  Son,  that  thy  Son  may  also  glorify  thee." 
Men  glorify  God  by  giving  unto  him,  in  word  and  work,  "  the 
glory  due  unto  his  name."  And  He  glorifies  believers  by 
receiving  them  into  his  heavenly  kingdom ;   for  "  whom  he 


348  THE   APPROACH. 

hath  justified,  them  hath  he  also  glorified,"  —  that  is,  irrev- 
ocably destined  and  sealed  unto  eternal  glory  with  himself. 
But  our  passage  has  nothing  in  common  with  sentiments  like 
these.  He^,  the  Father  and  the  Son  are  to  glorify  one 
another  mutually  and  essentially  in  the  same  sense.  Each 
is  to  show  forth  before  heaven  and  earth  the  glory  of  the 
other,  in  the  great  transactions  of  the  solemn  period  of  our 
globe  which  had  now  arrived,  and  to  which  this  petition  of 
Christ  is  most  obviously  confined.  The  particulars  of  this 
great  transaction  belong  to  another  part  of  this  discourse. 
Here  it  suffices  to  realize  it,  that  Jesus,  at  the  eve  of  his 
dying  the  death  of  a  criminal  slave,  claims  to  stand  with 
the  infinite  God  on  the  same  ground,  as  being  engaged  with 
him  in  the  very  act  of  their  mutually  glorifying  each  other  ! 

If  this  be  the  case,  it  is  not  strange  that  Jesus  should 
express  further  the  consciousness  of  possessing  ' '  power  over 
all  men,"  and  that  by  the  Father's  own  will  and  agency. 
This  power  is  "all  power  in  heaven  and  on  earth,"  or  om- 
nipotence; and  if  omnipotence,  then  sovereign  power.  It 
extends  thus  to  all  men,  high  and  low,  old  and  young,  in  all 
parts  of  the  earth,  and  throughout  all  ages.  It  extends  to 
all  their  inward  states,  motives  and  feelings,  and  all  their 
outward  interests,  concerns  and  pursuits.  It  overrules  all 
the  influences,  unnumbered  and  mighty  as  they  often  are. 
which  have  a  bearing  upon  men's  characters,  actions  and 
ultimate  destiny.  It  covers  the  whole  ground  of  their  tem- 
poral and  eternal  weal  and  woe.  He  has  "  power  over  all 
flesh,"  and  will  have  it  forever.  It  extends  beyond  this 
world,  to  all  that  is  comprehended  in  Scripture  by  the  terms 
eternal,  heaven,  and  hell. 

This  is  the  position  he  assumes  over  against  the  whole 
world,  present,  past,  and  future.     God  has  made  them  all 


THE   APPROACH.  349 

over  to  his  Son.     Go  to  him,  and  what  he  says  to  you,  do  ! 
This  is  the  divine,  unalterable  command  to  "  all  men." 

"Power  over  all  flesh!"  Mark  it,  sinners!  he,  Jesus, 
has  sovereign  power  over  you  !  You  are  perfectly  in  his 
power,  wherever  you  go.  Whether  you  ascend  up  to  heaven, 
or  descend  into  the  pit,  or  hide  in  the  cavern  of  Carmel,  or 
in  the  centre  of  the  earth,  or  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  or  in 
impenetrable  darkness,  you  are  everywhere  alike  in  his  sov- 
ereign hand !  Whether  you  are  alone,  or  linked  by  bands  of 
wickedness  with  millions  of  sinners,  and  in  covenant  with 
death  and  hell,  you  are  alike  at  his  most  perfect  disposal. 
Nor  is  there  any  respect  of  persons.  Kings  are  worms, 
kingdoms  are  mole-hills,  sceptres  are  straw,  and  crowns  and 
jewels  dust.  Eighteen  centuries  bear  witness  to  what  I  say. 
He  has  struck  through  kings,  in  the  day  of  his  wrath.  They 
that  refused  to  kiss  the  Son  have  perished  from  the  way,  and 
must  ultimately  all  perish.  Idolatrous  nations  have  gone  to 
ruin  by  the  millions ;  infidel  kingdoms  have  become  an  eternal 
desolation.  The  history  of  the  world  is  indeed  not  the  judg- 
ment-day ;  but  it  is  its  preparation,  its  prelude.  Its  voice,  if 
it  is  dumb  on  this  subject,  is  dumb  only  to  the  deaf.  Or 
why  has  not  this  Jesus  and  his  hated  Gospel  long  since 
ceased  from  the  memory  of  man  ]  Why  is  his  name,  now 
while  I  am  speaking,  the  greatest  name  in  human  history  ? 
He  has  "power  over  all  flesh."  He  has  power,  sovereign 
power,  over  you  and  me,  and  he  will  have  it  while  eternity 
endures.  You  will  acknowledge  his  power,  and  feel  his  con- 
trol, either  with  infinite  delight  in  heaven,  or  with  insupport- 
able anguish  in  hell.  And  to  that  there  will  be  no  end, — 
absolutely  no  end, — no  fear  of  its  cessation  in  glory,  no 
hope  of  it  in  the  pit,  forever  ! 
30 


350  THE   APPROACH. 

And  dares  any  one  of  my  hearers  say  of  this  Jesus,  "I 
will  not  have  him  to  reign  over  me"? 

II.  Jesus  offers  a  prayer  :  "  Father,  glorify  thy  Son." 
What  the  term  to  "glorify"  means  in  this  connection,  I  have 
already  indicated.  But  let  us  look  at  it  more  particularly. 
The  Father  was  not  to  glorify  the  Son  merely  by  receiving 
him  into  glory  after  his  expiatory  death,  any  more  than  the 
Son  was  to  glorify  the  Father  by  so  doing.  "  The  hour  is 
come,"  he  said;  not  of  his  ascension,  which  was  yet  forty- 
three  days  distant,  but  the  hour  of  his  last  sufferings  and  his 
expiatory  death.  But  this  was  also  "  the  hour  "  in  which 
the  Father  was  to  glorify  him.  His  ascension  and  entrance 
into  that  glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father  before  the  world 
was  are  indeed  not  excluded  from  the  petition,  as  v.  5  shows. 
But  that  royal  glory,  which  now  was  to  become  also  the 
mediatorial  glory  of  Jesus,  is  but  a  part  of  what  he  prays 
for;  it  is  but  the  ultimate  and  eternal  irradiation  of  that 
inner  and  moral  glory  which,  in  fact,  began  with  the  moment 
of  his  appropriately  expiatory  sufferings  and  death ;  it  is  the 
eternal  fruit  and  consequence  of  this  truly  glorious  work  of 
transcending,  divine  love.  Shortly  before,  he  had  said, 
"  The  hour  is  come  that  the  Son  of  Man  should  be  glorified  ;" 
and  the  way  in  which  this  should  be  done  *he  plainly  indi- 
cated there  to  be  that  of  falling  like  a  dying  grain  of  wheat 
into  the  ground,  to  bring  forth  "much  fruit."  The  glory 
Jesus  prayed  for  was  preeminently  the  glory  of  dying  love. 

In  this  prayer,  however,  his  own  glory  was  not  the  chief 
end,  but,  as  he  said,  "  Father,  glorify  thy  name  !  "  In  fact, 
the  glory  of  the  Father  and  that  of  the  Son  in  the  work  of 
redemption  are  absolutely  inseparable.  This  is  already  and 
most  wonderfully  and  delightfully  conspicuous  in  the  very 
first  words  with  which  our  Saviour  opened  his  last  conversa- 


THE  APPROACH.  351 

tion  with  his  disciples,  of  which  conversation  the  prayer  con- 
tained in  our  chapter  is  the  close.  Allow  me  to  give  that 
passage  to  you  in  a  form  more  free  than  a  professed  version 
has  a  right  to  do.  No  sooner  has  the  traitor  Judas  left  the 
upper  chamber,  when  Jesus  begins  by  saying,  "  Now  shall 
the  Son  of  Man  be  glorified,  and  God  will  be  glorified  by  him. 
If  God  be  glorified  by  the  Son,  God — that  is,  the  Father — will 
also  glorify  the  Son  by  himself;  and  this  will  now  forthwith 
begin  to  take  place.  (John  13  :  31,  32.)  Thus  you  see  how 
their  united  glory  consists  preeminently  in  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion, and  that  that  glory  is  inseparable,  mutual  and  equal. 

But  the  question  returns,  What  specifically  did  Jesus  ask 
of  the  Father,  in  saying,  "Glorify  thy  Son"?  He  asks, 
that,  while  himself  engaged  in  the  dread  work  of  expiating 
■our  sins,  the  Father  should  maintain  and  set  forth  before 
the  universe  the  glory  and  majesty  of  his  —  that  is,  the  in- 
carnate Son's — personal  character,  which  he  now  surrendered 
to  the  keeping  of  the  Father, —  a  glory  which  they  enjoyed 
unitedly  before  creation's  first  dawn  (verse  5), —  and  par- 
ticularly his  glory  in  the  great  work  of  his  dying  love. 

And  this  the  Father  did,  by  all  those  miraculous  manifesta- 
tions of  his  peculiar  and  personal  interest  in  the  atonement 
wrought  by  his  eternal  Son  which  accompanied  the  last  hours 
of  Jesus,  and  made  his  death  different  from  that  of  all  other 
men.  He  did  it  by  the  supernatural  darkness  from  the  sixth 
to  the  ninth  hour ;  the  convulsions  of  the  earth,  the  rending 
of  the  rocks,  the  opening  of  graves,  the  resurrection  of  saints 
who  slept,  the  descent  of  angels ;  and  ultimately  by  the  Son's 
own  glorious  resurrection,  which,  although  he  had  power  and 
right  to  effect  it  himself,  was,  by  the  consent  of  both,  called 
forth  "by  the  glory  of  the  Father,"  who  thus  with  infinite 
delight,  and  with  his  own  hands,  crowned  the  work  of  the 


352  THE   APPROACH. 

redemption,  wrought  by  his  only-begotten  Son,  with  divine 
and  eternal  glory. 

The  Father  glorified  the  Son  by  cooperating  with  him  in  his 
great  work  of  redeeming,  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  his  Father's 
glory,  and  to  the  souls  of  men.  That  matchless  obedience, 
even  unto  death,  towards  his  Father,  which  Jesus  cherished 
while  on  earth,  and  that  incredible  love  and  compassion  of  his 
for  perishing  souls,  could  certainly  not  be  tried  and  exhibited 
in  their  moral  glory,  by  any  conceivable  means,  as  they  were 
by  the  deep  agonies  of  Gethsemane  and  Golgotha.  Herein 
was  love  !  Here  shone  brightest  the  glory  of  Him  who  is  pre- 
eminently and  forever  holy  love.  But  in  all  this  great 
work  of  love  the  Father  must  consent.  And  he  must  co- 
operate in  it,  too;  for  he  was  to  "  bruise  "  his  holy  child 
Jesus,  and  "  put  him  to  grief;  "  he  was  to  make  the  "  soul " 
of  his  eternal  Son  "an  offering  for  sin  ;  "  he  was  to  crown  the 
anguish  of  his  beloved  one  by  the  stern  hiding  of  his  own 
countenance ;  he  had  to  appoint  and  direct  all  the  circum- 
stances, and  control  all  the  agencies,  that  had  a  bearing  upon 
the  event  of  Jesus'  suffering  and  death.  For  the  glory  of  the 
Son  consisted  in  being  the  perfectly  passive  "  Lamb  of  God," 
led  to  the  slaughter  and  dumb  before  his  shearers ;  while  the 
active  management  and  the  positive  carrying  out  of  the  whole 
dread  scene  rested  in  the  hand  of  the  Father. 

The  Father  glorified  the  Son  by  owning  and  accepting  the 
work  of  redemption.  The  blood  of  his  Son  was,  in  the 
balance  of  the  sanctuary,  to  be  found  and  declared  amply  suf- 
ficient really  to  pay  the  moral  debt  of  our  whole  world.  The 
giving  up  of  his  mortal  breath  for  us  was  to  be  found  and 
declared  as  honoring  the  Law,  at  least  as  much  as  the  eternal 
damnation  of  every  sinner  under  heaven,  from  Adam  to  his 
last  offspring,  could  have  done.    The  Son's  obedience,  in  doing 


THE  APPROACH.  353 

and  suffering  the  "  righteous  Father's  "  will  even  unto  death, 
was  to  be  acknowledged  and  authorized  as  a  new-created 
moral  treasure,  not  claimed  from  Christ  by  the  reverent  law, 
because  he  is  its  master,  not  its  servant ;  and  yet  available 
to  us,  the  insolvent  debtors  of  the  law,  because  wrought  by 
him  freely  in  our  nature  and  for  us, —  wrought  by  the  pro- 
totype of  humanity,  the  man  both  original  and  final,  central 
to  the  race,*  and  head  inseparable  over  his  own  body,  the 
church.  That  vicarious  obedience  by  the  Son  the  Father  is 
to  declare  as  unclaimed  by  the  law,  and  capable  to  be  dis- 
posed of  rightfully  and  in  a  sovereign  manner  by  the  Son,  for 
the  justification  at  the  bar  'of  heaven  of  all  whom  the  Son 
should  choose  to  justify  and  to  save.  Add  to  all  this  the 
necessary  concomitants  and  consequences,  namely,  the  spoiling 
1  of  the  powers  of  darkness  of  all  their  claims  upon  our  race, 
the  ascension  of  Jesus,  his  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father  as  High  Priest  and  King  forever,  the  concession  to 
him  of  all  power  in  heaven  and  on  earth, — that  is,  the  prerog- 
atives of  Divinity  for  his  human  nature  also,  and  of  the 
right  to  pour  out  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  whom  he  pleased, 
though  it  be  upon  "all  flesh,"  and  at  the  last  day  of  the 
right  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  and  irrevocably  to 
decide  the  eternal  destiny  of  every  soul  that  ever  breathed 
upon  the  earth, —  and  you  have  a  glimpse  of  the  depth  of  the 
prayer,  "Father,  the  hour  is  come  ;  glorify  thy  Son."  And 
all  this  the  Father  has  done  with  unutterable  complacency,  tak- 
ing the  darling  of  his  heart,  his  own  self  and  soul,  from  the 
accursed  tree ;  calling  him  by  his  own  glory  from  the  bowels 
of  the  earth,  highly  to  exalt  him,  and  to  give  him  a  name 
which  is  above  every  name,  "  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus' 
every  knee  should  bow,  of  beings  in  heaven,  of  beings  in  earth, 
and  beings  under  the  earth,  and  that  every  tongue  should 
30* 


354  THE  APPROACH. 

confess,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father."     (Phil.  2:  9—11.) 

Truly  the  Son  is  glorious ! 

III.  To  desire  celestial  bliss  is  not  selfish  even  in  us,  if  it 
be  but  understood  what  heaven  is.  But  for  Jesus  to  long  for 
it  was  but  to  long  for  his  own  eternal  and  inalienable  divine 
prerogative.  To  desire  the  glory  of  dying  for  sin?iers  is 
benevolence  more  than  human  or  angelic.  (Rom.  5:7.) 
Christ  prayed  for  both  these  objects,  but  especially  for  the 
latter ;  yet  to  be  glorified  was  not  in  itself  the  object  of  his 
soul,  but  the  means  for  attaining  to  the  accomplishment  of 
what  was  preeminently  precious  in  his  view,  and  desired  and 
longed  for  with  all  the  strength  of  his  exalted  mind.  What 
was  that  1 

What  it  was  is  evident  from  his  purposes  expressed,  of 
which  we  are  now  to  speak. 

Hear  him.  — "  Father,  that  thy  Son  may  also  glorify  thee  !  " 
There  it  is  !  Not  his  own  glory,  but  his  Father's  glory,  is 
the  object  of  his  soul,  to  which  he  was  prepared  to  press  on 
through  seas  of  blood  and  tears,  suffering  in  the  contest  the 
spite  and  wrath  of  earth  and  hell,  the  crushing  weight  of  the 
omnipotent  arm,  raised  to  bring  down  upon  him  the  equiva- 
lent of  sin's  universal  desert,  and  the  very  hidings  of  his 
Father's  countenance  !  0,  holy  desire,  glorious  eagerness, 
for  the  highest  and  noblest  object !  Sacred,  matchless  soul, 
this  !  —  swallowed  up  in  the  glory  of  God,  the  Father  of 
mercies,  the  just  and  Holy  One,  who  loveth  holiness  with  an 
infinite  love,  and  infinitely  hates  sin,  though  found  by  legal 
transfer  upon  the  head  of  his  only-begotten  Son  ! 

But  how  does  he  purpose  to  glorify  his  Father  ?  (1.)  By 
exhibiting  through  his  vicarious  death  for  sinners  the  wisdom 
of  God  in  devising  a  plan  of  salvation  equally  calculated  to 


THE   APPROACH.  355 

redeem  the  sinner  from  ruin,  to  sanctify  him  for  an  abode  in 
heaven,  and  to  magnify  the  divine  law,  and  make  it  honora- 
ble before  the  whole  universe.  (2.)  By  satisfying  the  unbend- 
ing justice  of  God,  by  really  and  honestly  paying  in  his  own 
person  "  the  last  farthing  "  due  to  the  law,  in  proof  that  God 
will  maintain  that  law,  though  it  be  against  his  own  Son, 
if  he  be  but  the  legal,  not  the  real,  debtor  to  its  violated 
sanction.  He  glorifies  God  by  exhibiting  (3)  his  love  of 
God ;  which  love  proves  to  be  so  great,  that  he  gave  up  his 
only-begotten  Son  into  death,  to  save  those  that  were  ready 
to  perish ;  counting  the  salvation  of  perishing  souls  an  object 
dearer  to  his  compassionate  heart  than  the  undiminished, 
uninterrupted  bliss  of  the  eternal  Son.  And  certain  it  is, 
that  there  exist  no  known  means,  in  the  two-fold  realms  of 
creation  and  providence,  by  which  the  justice  and  love  of  the 
Father  could  have  been  exalted  to  any  degree  bearing  the 
mos#t  distant  comparison  to  the  refulgence  by  which  the  scenes 
of  Gethsemane  and  Calvary  surround  them.  To  do  this  was 
the  passion  of  his  soul,  and  the  unwavering  purpose  of  his 
holy  mind. 

There  is  another  purpose  of  Jesus,  which  he  manifests  in 
our  text,  verse  2  :  "  As  thou  hast  given  him  power  over 
all  flesh,  that  he  should  give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  thou 
hast  given  him."  He  accepts,  as  Mediator,  "power  over  all 
flesh,"  "all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth;  "  and  prepares, 
through  sufferings  and  death, —  divine  justice  being  thus 
satisfied, —  to  rise  with  his  human  body  and  soul  to  a  seat  at 
the  right  hand  of  God,  "  far  above  all  principality  and  power, 
and  might,  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is  named,  not 
only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that  which  is  to  come  (Eph. 
1 :  21),  that  he  might  accomplish  his  benevolent  purpose, 


356  THE  APPROACH. 

and  give  eternal  life  to  those  whom  the  Father  gave  unto  him 
in  the  eternal  council  of  sovereign  grace. 

Nor  does  it  appear  that  this  purpose  and  the  longings  of 
Jesus  were  primarily  directed  to  glorifying  his  Father, 
while  to  give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  the  Father  had  given 
him  was  a  mere  secondary  object  with  him.  No  doubt,  the 
infinite  and  eternal  God  of  the  universe  must,  of  necessity, 
have  the  preference  in  all  things.  But,  in  the  mind  and  the 
petition  of  Jesus,  these  two  objects  seem  to  penetrate  each 
other )  and  his  divine  views  and  feelings,  combined  with  his 
holy  human  affections,  united  equally  in  a  prayerful  desire  for 
the  glory  of  his  Father,  with  whom  he  was  one  eternal  nature, 
and  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  with  whom  he  was  one  body 
and  soul.  His  divine  and  human  nature  joined  in  the  im- 
mutable purpose  of  realizing  both,  through  the  great  work  of 
his  all-sufficient  atonement. 

This  is  the  purpose,  this  the  resolution  of  his  will,  from 
the  accomplishment  of  which  no  power  in  the  universe  can 
turn  him.  and  which  is  so  precious  in  his  sight  that  he  pre- 
pares —  calling  for  his  Father's  dread  cooperation  in  the 
frightful  task  —  for  pouring  out  his  soul  unto  death,  drink- 
ing the  cup  of  God's  wrath,  and  bowing  to  the  billows  of 
woe,  which  both  earth  and  hell  were  now  ready  to  roll  over 
his  devoted  head.  And  this  purpose  he  accomplished,  and 
thus  became  the  only  and  sovereign  bestower  of  eternal  life. 

And  now,  brother  and  sister  in  Christ,  see  what  a  Saviour 
you  have  !  Praise  him  who  is  the  help  of  your  countenance 
and  your  God  !  Love  him  who  loved  you  first,  and  with  an 
infinite  love !  Glorify  him  who  desired  his  own  glory  but  for 
your  salvation  ! 

Sinners,  worldly,  careless  souls,  see  what  a  Saviour  you 
reject !     Look  at  his  free  and  generous  love,  and  feel  the 


THE   APPROACH.  357 

meanness  and  the  blackness  of  your  conduct.  Reflect  upon 
the  exaltation  of  his  character,  and  realize  the  iniquity  and  the 
peril  of  your  course.  Think  what  noble  obligations  you  are 
so  happily  under,  and  submit  to  the  sceptre  of  his  love. 
Whoever  you  are,  know  that  Jesus  has  power  over  you, — 
the  Father  gave  it  him.  That  power  you  will  feel,  if  you 
turn  not,  on  that  great  day  of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb, —  a 
wrath  less  bearable  to  the  soul,  than  the  weight  of  all  the 
mountains  of  the  earth  would  be  to  the  body,  if  that  could 
feel  all  their  weight.  That  power  you  will  feel  forever. 
Jesus  never  will,  and  never  can,  give  up  his  sovereign  power 
over  you,  nor  relinquish  his  claims.  0,  turn,  while  it  is 
called  to-day,  and  he  will  give  unto  you  also  "  eternal 
life"! 

Thus,  brethren  and  sisters,  has  Christ  sanctified  the  path 
of  self-devotion,  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of 
souls.  Through  his  merits,  all  our  resolutions  and  purposes 
will  now  be  accepted  of  God,  and  blessed  to  the  production  of 
good  in  his  kingdom.  And  the  strength  we  need  for  walk- 
ing in  these  his  glorious  footsteps  he  has  merited  and  pro- 
cured, and  we  may  come  and  take  freely,  even  unto  death. 
Unto  him  be  glory  forever  ! 


II. 

ETERNAL    LIFE. 

And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee  the  only  true  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent.  — John  17  :  3. 

Eternal  life  !  What  a  sound  ringing  through  the  ago- 
nizing groans  of  our  world,  where  all  is  dying !  Eternal 
life  for  men,  prepared  for  men,  and  accessible  to  them, — 
yes,  offered  to  and  urged  upon  them  !  What  a  message  to 
those  who  are  every  moment  exposed  to  eternal  death! 
And  are  any  of  you  indifferent  to  the  sound  ?  0,  that  I 
could  lead  you  to  the  brink  of  death,  the  second  death,  to 
make  you  see  and  realize  that  it  is,  and  what  it  is  !  How 
attentively  would  you  then  listen  to  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God,  saying,  "  This  is  eternal  life,  that  —  "  "What?  what 
is  eternal  life,  and  where  is  it?"  would  you  tremblingly 
exclaim, —  and  not  a  syllable  of  his  reply  would  escape  your 
attentive  ear. 

But  all  of  us  are  not  indifferent  to  this  sound.  To  those, 
then,  who  feel  somewhat  the  importance  of  the  term,  I  desire 
to  address  the  sentiment  of  our  text,  for  their  instruction  and 
comfort ;  to  those  who  doubt,  disbelieve  or  despise,  it  may  be 
for  their  condemnation.  This  God  only  knoweth.  May  his 
sovereign  will  be  done  !  Yes,  as  this  present  moment  is  called 
to-day,  I  pray  that  we  may  all  to-day  lay  hold  on  "eternal 
life,"  as  it  is  offered  to  us  in  our  text. 


ETERNAL   LIFE.  359 

Our  text  is  plain.     I  shall  have  to  speak, 

I.  Of  the  knowledge  of  the  only  true  God. 

II.  Of   the   knowledge  of   Him   whom   He   hath 

SENT. 

I.  God,  as  God,  cannot  be  known,  except  by  himself. 
Infinitude  alone  can  comprehend  the  infinite.  But  in  his 
manifestations  of  himself  in  the  economies  of  nature,  of 
providence,  and  of  grace,  he  can  be  known.  This  knowl- 
edge, if  it  were  direct,  and  untarnished  by  sin,  and  con- 
sequently adequate,  would  not  only  comprehend,  but  infi- 
nitely surpass,  all  other  knowledge  belonging  to  the  same 
respective  spheres  of  thought.  A  knowledge  of  God  as 
Creator,  if  adequate,  would  unlock  all  the  recondite  secrets 
of  nature ;  analyzing  to  perfection  both  the  visible  and  the 
invisible  worlds,  and  laying  bare  the  first  springs  of  uni- 
versal secondary  being  and  causation,  and  the  unnumbered 
relations  of  all  the  parts  of  creation  to  one  another,  and  to 
the  whole.  A  knowledge  of  God  as  governor  of  the  world, 
if  adequate,  would  leave  neither  secret  nor  difficulty  in  the 
confused,  perplexing  moral  ferment,  called  human  history  ; 
would  satisfactorily  account  for  every  imperfection,  as  well  as 
beauty,  in  the  changes  and  revolutions  of  creation,  animate  or 
inanimate,  and  enable  us  with  transparent  clearness  to  pene- 
trate and  appreciate  beforehand  the  specific  grounds  and  rea- 
sons upon  which  rest  the  decisions  of  eternal  judgment. 

But  I  must  economize  with  my  time,  and  would  merely 
say  that  our  text  does  not  speak  of  this  kind  of  knowledge, 
however  valuable  it  might  be,  were  it  attainable  by  us.  For 
such  a  knowledge  of  God  would  not  be  eternal  life.  It  is 
too  purely  intellectual  for  that.  Our  text  speaks  of  a  knowl- 
edge of  God  which  is  eternal  life,  and  which,  fortunately  for 
us,  is  attainable  by  us,  and  that  at  present. 


360  ETERNAL  LIFE. 

What  knowledge  of  God  is  that  1  Look  at  the  context. 
To  whom  does  the  Saviour  speak  ?  He  speaks,  not  to  the 
absolute,  eternal,  incomprehensible  mind ;  not  even  to  the 
Creator,  Preserver,  or  Ruler  of  all  things  ;  but  to  his  Father 
(v.  1),  whom  he  calls  here  "the  only  time  God,"  who  had 
sent  him,  his  only-begotten  Son  (text),  with  whom  he  had 
all  things  in  common  (v.  10), — between  whom  and  him 
existed  a  perfect  reciprocity  (v.  1),  and  whose  eternal  glory 
he  expected  to  share  again,  as  he  had  done  from  all  eternity 
past  (v.  24). 

Thus,  without  going  beyond  the  limits  of  our  chapter,  we  see 
that  that  God  who  is  "the  only  true  God,"  and  whose  knowl- 
edge is  "eternal  life,"  is  not  that  abstract  being  which  figures 
under  the  name  of  God  in  many  systems  of  philosophy  and 
of  religion, —  both  of  them  falsely  so  called  ;  not  that  general 
distant  deity  of  many  of  our  modern  authors,  and  our  Soci- 
nian,  Unitarian  writers,  with  whose  religious  sentiments  the 
Brahmin  and  the  Ssoofee,  the  Rabbi  and  the  Derwish,  would 
alike  readily  sympathize  ;  not  the  cold,  unknowable  univer- 
sal cause,  destiny,  or  general  undiscriminating,  unconscious 
Providence,  which  worldly  men  are  willing  generally  to  ac- 
knowledge. No  !  "  The  only  true  God,"  whose  knowledge 
is  "eternal  life,"  is  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ; 
that  God  whose  divine  perfections,  free  and  boundless  grace, 
sovereign  will,  and  eternal  counsels,  are  revealed  in  the  his- 
tory of  redemption ;  he  who  so  loved  this  apostate  world  as 
to  give  his  only-begotten  and  equal  Son,  to  become,  clothed 
in  human  flesh,  a  ransom  for  their  sins ;  who,  with  infinite 
complacency,  bore  audible  witness  to  the  blessed  work  of  his 
Son,  accepted  his  eternal  sacrifice,  raised  him  from  the  dead 
by  his  own  glory,  called  him  to  his  right  hand,  "far  above 
all  principality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and 


ETERNAL   LIFE.  361 

every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  in 
that  which  is  to  come;"  who  committed  to  him  all  power  in 
heaven  and  on  earth,  acknowledged  his  rightful  title  to  pour 
down  upon  the  earth  his  blessed  spirit,  and  delighted  to  glo- 
rify his  holy  child  Jesus,  from  his  descent  to  the  earth  and 
his  birth,  in  all  his  humble  and  hidden  life,  his  painful  labors, 
his  sufferings  and  his  death,  his  glorious  resurrection,  and  his 
present  reign  in  divine  majesty  and  bliss.  This  God,  God 
thus  revealed,  is  "the  only  true  God,"  whose  knowledge  is 
"eternal  life."  The  rest  are  idols  of  human  conceit,  how- 
ever much  of  interesting  truth  may  be  mixed  with  their  con-, 
ception ;  relative  to  "eternal  life,"  they  are  useless  abstrac- 
tions, which  neither  hear,  nor  see,  nor  speak,  nor  save. 

Now,  as  to  the  knowledge  of  him,  —  what  is  it? 

{ '  But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God :  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him  :  neither 
can  he  known  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned." 
Thus  Paul,  1  Cor.  2:  14.  That  knowledge  of  "the  only 
true  God,"  which  is  "eternal  life,"  is  not  the  mere  acquaint- 
ance with  religious  facts  ;  nor  the  bare,  though  honest,  ac- 
knowledgment of  their  reality  and  importance ;  nor  the  intel- 
lectual acquisition  of  a  doctrine,  or  a  truth.  All  this  may 
leave  a  man  "  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  This  leads  me 
to  remark  that  there  is  recognized  in  Scripture  a  knowl- 
edge of  God  unto  judgment,  and  another  unto  salvation. 
"That  which  may  be  known  of  God  is  manifest  to  them 
(that  is,  the  Gentiles),  for  God  hath  showed  it  unto  them." 
(Rom.  1:  19.)  Paul  contends  that  the  heathens  "knew 
God"  (v.  21),  and  concludes,  that  "they  are  without 
excuse"  (v.  20).  "They  did  not  like  to  retain  God  in 
their  knowledge"  but  changed  him  into  a  lie;  and,  "know- 
ing the  judgment  of  God,"  plunged  into  sin,  and  perished 
31 


362  ETERNAL   LIFE. 

"even  "without  knowledge."  And  to  his  bitterest  enemies 
among  the  Jews  Christ  says,  "Yes,  ye  both  know  me,  and 
know  whence  I  am"  (John  7:  28);  and  yet  declares  unto 
them  (8:  19),  "Ye  neither  know  me  nor  my  Father." 
The  heathens  are  defined  in  the  Scriptures  as  men  who  know 
not  God.  They  know  him  in  one  sense,  but  in  another  they 
are  utterly  ignorant  of  him. 

The  knowledge  is  more  than  an  acquaintance  with  religious 
truth,  however  thorough  and  valuable,  or  an  acknowledgment 
of  it,  however  honest ;  else  it  could  not  be  "  eternal  life." 
What,  then,  is  it  ?  I  answer,  it  is  like  the  knowledge  you 
have  of  your  affectionate  and  beloved  earthly  father.  You  see 
him,  you  hear  him,  you  exchange  thoughts  and  feelings  with 
him ;  you  learn,  as  far  as  it  concerns  you,  his  mind  and  his 
purposes;  you  pour  into  his  heart  your  sorrows  and  your  joys. 
All  this  does  cherish  and  increase  a  close  fellowship  of  mind 
and  heart  between  you  both.  Your  father  knows  you,  and 
you  know  him.  But  this  knowledge  wrhich  you  have  of  your 
father  involves  complacency,  affection,  because  it  is  a  knowl- 
edge of  his  loveliness,  and  of  his  love  to  you  in  particular. 
It  begets  and  cherishes  harmony  between  you  two,  and  has  a 
transforming  influence  upon  your  character,  in  all  those  traits 
of  your  parent  which  you  perceive  to  be  good  and  praise- 
worthy. It  is  a  knowledge  greatly  controlling  you  and  guid- 
ing your  actions,  because  it  is  an  approving  knowledge  of 
his  will.  It  is  a  knowledge  drawing  you  nearer  to  him  con- 
stantly, and  filling  you  with  calm  and  sweet  delight  in  his 
society. 

Change  the  terms,  and  put  into  the  place  of  your  earthly 
father  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  —  our  Father 
which  is  in  heaven,  —  and  you  have  a  correct  definition  of 


ETERNAL  LIFE.  363 

what  that  knowledge  of  "the  only  true  God"  is,  which  is 
"eternal  life." 

But  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  and  desires 
not  to  retain  his  knowledge  as  taught  by  creation,  much  less 
to  obtain  that  which  is  taught  by  his  Word  and  Spirit. 
The  knowledge,  therefore,  here  spoken  of,  involves  a  pre- 
viously wrought  change  and  renewal  of  heart  and  mind. 
And,  as  regeneration  is  a  divine  work  in  man,  so  this  knowl- 
edge is  a  divine  gift  to  him.  It  is  not  placed  within  our 
independent  control;  for  no  man  knoweth  "the  Father," 
"save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom  the  Son  will  reveal  him." 
(Mat.  11 :  28.)  It  is  a  matter  of  experimental  revelation, 
made  by  Christ  to  him  who  is  to  have  it ;  and  it  is  that  from 
its  beginning,  throughout  its  growth  and  progress,  to  the 
end. 

But  he  to  whom  the  Son  is  to  make  this  revelation  must 
know  the  Son  ;  and  this  brings  us  to  our  second  topic. 

II.  The  knowledge  of  him  whom  "the  only  true  God" 
"hath  sent." 

"  And  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent." 

This  is  the  only  instance  in  which  our  Saviour  calls  him- 
self Jesus  Christ.  I  take  these  to  be  the  very  words  of 
Christ,  as  it  would  have  been  preposterous  in  John  to  make 
additions  to  that  last  prayer.  And,  indeed,  the  occasion 
called  for  both  terms,  Jesus  and  Christ. 

Jesus,  or,  as  the  name  looks  in  other  cases,  Joshua  or 
Hoshea.  means,  literally  translated,  Jehovah- Saviour.  It 
may  thus  have  designated  an  individual  the  prayerful  desire 
of  whose  parents  was,  in  their  giving  him  that  name,  that 
Jehovah  might  be  his  Saviour.  This  was,  no  doubt,  the  case, 
in  most  cases,  when  the  name  was  given  to  infants.  It  may 
appropriately  designate  a   person  by  whom  Jehovah  gives 


364  ETERNAL   LIFE. 

salvation,  as  was  proverbially  the  case  with  Joshua,  the  suc- 
cessor of  Moses,  and  with  the  High  Priest  under  whose 
administration  the  worship  of  God  was  reestablished  after  the 
return  of  the  Jews  from  Babylon.  Only  one  more  significa- 
tion of  this  name  is  conceivable,  namely,  that  of  Jehovah  in 
the  character  of  a  Saviour,  or  Jehovah- Saviour,  as  indeed  the 
name  sounds.  This  I  take  to  be  the  divinely  intended  mean- 
ing in  the  case  of  the  incarnate  Son  of  God.  Hence  the 
express  divine  direction  given  by  the  angel  that  this  should 
be  his  name,  in  preference  to  names  like  Wonderful,  Coun- 
sellor, Mighty  God,  Everlasting  Father,  Prince  of  Peace, 
God  with  us,  Shiloh,  Branch  of  David.  None  of  all  these 
names  has  that  fulness  of  meaning  as  Jehovah-Saviour,  when 
taken  in  its  fullest  meaning.  This  position,  briefly  indicated 
here,  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  name  Jesus,  I  consider  per- 
fectly capable  of  satisfactory  proof.  As  to  the  term  Christ, 
it  is  the  same  with  Messiah,  the  anointed, —  either  King,  or 
Priest,  or  both,  which  latter  is  the  case  here.  (Zech.  6  :  13.) 
Hence,  in  saying  "that  they  might  know"  "Jesus  Christ 
whom  thou  hast  sent,"  Jesus  said  "  that  they  might  know 
him  who  is  Jehovah  their  Saviour,  and  the  anointed  King  and 
High  Priest  of  his  own  people." 

In  chapter  14  :  1,  he  said  to  the  disciples,  "'Ye  believe  in 
God,  believe  also  in  me ;"  thus  declaring  that  belief  in  God, 
as  such,  however  sincere,  was  not  sufficient  to  make  a  man  a 
believer,  or  secure  the  salvation  of  his  immortal  soul.  And 
now,  just  as  their  faith  in  God  without  faith  in  Christ  was 
declared  inadequate,  so  here  the  knowledge  of  the  only  true 
God,  and  of  him  whom  he  hath  sent,  is  placed  on  the  same 
ground.  This  two-fold  knowledge  appears  here  distinguish- 
able as  two-fold,  but  identical  in  such  a  sense  as  to  be  abso- 
lutely inseparable  in  the  actual  possession  and  enjoyment  of 


ETERNAL  LIFE.  365 

it.  Mark  this  again,  if  there  be  any  misgivings  lurking  in 
your  hearts  as  to  who  Christ  is  !     He  can  be  no  creatine. 

We  might  leave  the  subject  here,  seeing  that  to  know  the 
only  true  God,  who  sent  his  only-begotten  Son,  and  yet  to  be 
ignorant  of  the  Son  whom  he  sent,  is  impossible,  and  the  sup- 
position therefore  absurd.  But,  let  me  ask  you,  believer  in 
Jesus,  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that  the  knowledge  of  God,  as 
above  denned,  was  separately  attainable  ;  could  your  soul  rest 
even  in  this  blest  fruition  of  the  knowledge  of  the  only  true 
God,  without  an  acquaintance  with  the  Son  whom  the  only  true 
God  sent  for  your  soul's  redemption,  and  through  whom  you 
would  feel  you  came  again  into  this  divine  and  life-giving 
knowledge  ?  The  supposition  is  morally  absurd.  You  would 
roam  through  the  universe  to  seek  Jesus,  till  you  found  him. 

But  not  only  is  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  "  Jesus  Christ " 
inseparable  from  that  of  the  Father,  but  the  former  precedes 
the  latter  in  the  order  of  time,  in  the  experience  of  the  con- 
verted soul.  So  far  as  the  higher  spiritual  influences  in  the 
experience  of  the  Christian  can  be  separately  conceived,  the 
divine  economy  recognizes  the  fact.  Says  Christ,  "  No  man 
can  come  unto  me  except  the  Father  which  hath  sent  me 
draw  him."  (John  6:  44.)  This  drawing  is  the  first  step 
towards  salvation,  and  anticipates  the  sinner's  conversion  in 
time,  as  God's  sovereign  counsel  does  from  eternity.  The 
sinner  thus  drawn  comes  to  and  is  received  by  Christ,  who 
saves  all  those  whom  the  Father  giveth  him.  This  is  the 
next  step  in  the  great  work.  "  No  man  cometh  to  the  Father 
but  by  me,"  says  Christ.  This  is  the  third  step.  The  sin- 
ner coming  to  the  Father  by  Christ  is  received  into  the 
family  of  God,  and  God  becomes  his  Father  in  Christ. 
Henceforth  his  fellowship  is  with  the  Father  and  with  his 
Son  Jesus  Christ ;  and  if,  from  this  time  onward,  the  Father 
31* 


366  ETERNAL   LIFE. 

reveals  to  him  who  the  Son  is,  and  the  Son  who  the  Father  is, 
it  is  but  the  experimental  candying  out  of  the  very  words  of 
Christ  (v.  1),  "  Glorify  thy  Son,  that  thy  Son  may  also 
glorify  thee;"  and  the  practical  side  of  that  reciprocity 
involving  equality  of  character,  of  which  I  spoke  in  my  last 
discourse,  and  which  subsists  between  the  Father  and  the 
Son.     Here  is  wisdom  ! 

But  we  return  to  the  simpler  question  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  by  itself  considered.  Being  in  character  the  same 
with  the  knowledge  of  "  the  only  true  God,"  and  in  existence 
inseparable  from  it,  it  is  obvious  that  this  knowledge  also  is 
one  of  spiritual  experience,  derived  from  real  contact  and 
actual  occurrences.  Indulge  me  once,  if  I  resort  to  illustra- 
tion. 

Suppose  you  are  a  poor,  abandoned,  wicked  outcast,  with- 
out claims  for  mercy  upon  God  or  man;  your  vessel,  by  the 
raving  hurricane  dashed  to  shivers,  has  left  you  clinging  to  a 
board  amid  inaccessible  rocks,  and  an  angry  sea  rolls  constantly 
over  your  head.  None  can  save,  and  none,  in  fact,  would  be 
willing  to  save,  such  an  one  as  you  are.  But  the  Sovereign's 
first-begotten  stands  on  the  shore.  Owing  to  the  matchless 
benevolence  of  his  character,  he  loves  you  whom  nobody 
loves,  and  pities  you  whom  nobody  pities.  Kingdom,  crown 
and  life,  are  set  aside ;  he  leaps  into  the  foaming  deep,  and, 
after  toils  untold,  exhausted  and  with  his  body  mangled  and 
bleeding,  he  brings  you  safely  to  the  shore.  By  irresistible 
though  gentle  means  and  influences,  he  turns  your  mind  to 
the  love  of  all  that  is  good,  induces  his  Father  to  adopt  you 
as  his  child  into  the  royal  family,  and  to  receive  you  to  his 
palace  and  his  table.  Your  daily  intercourse  is  with  the 
Prince,  your  two-fold  deliverer,  from  a  watery  grave  and  from 
the  thraldom  of  vile  passions  and  soul-destroying  iniquity ; 


ETERNAL   LIFE.  367 

your  fellowship  with  him  is  constant,  intimate,  and  sweet, 
and  the  manifestations  of  his  love  to  you,  the  purchase  of  his 
dying  struggles,  are  repeated  every  moment.  Live  along 
thus  one  year,  or  two,  or  ten,  or  twenty,  or  fifty,  and  then 
let  me  ask  you,  "  Do  you  know  that  prince?  "  Your  glance 
at  me  through  smiles  and  tears  is  all  the  answer  you  can  give. 
Now  change  the  terms,  and  put  for  the  earthly  prince  the 
Prince  of  life,  Jesus  Christ,  and  ask  the  believer,  "  Do  you 
know  him  ?  "  Know  him  !  Know  him  !  0,  ask  no  more  ! 
for  human  language  has  no  words  to  frame  an  adequate  reply. 
Know  him  !  What  an  emphasis,  what  an  import,  the  little 
word  has  !  If  words  had  souls,  this  word  would  soar  on 
seraph's  wings. 

Thus  here,  as  above,  the  knowledge  spoken  of  is  an  experi- 
mental knowledge,  the  fruit  of  a  living  connection,  fellow- 
ship and  intercourse  with  Christ.  It  is,  as  above,  a 
knowledge  involving  complacency,  affection,  and  consequent 
harmony,  being  in  its  character  transforming,  controlling  and 
guiding  our  actions,  drawing  us  nearer  to  its  divine  object, 
and  making  us  feel  supremely  happy  while  in  his  blessed 
nearness.  This  knowledge  presupposes  a  renewal  of  heart 
and  mind,  and  is  in  its  beginning  and  progress,  even  to  the 
end  of  it,  a  matter  of  experimental  revelation  from  heaven. 
For  his  Father  in  heaven  must  reveal  it  unto  us.  "  To 
whom  is  the  arm  of  the  Lord  revealed?  "  asks  Isaiah  ;  and 
Paul  answers,  from  his  personal  experience,  u  When  it  pleased 
God  to  reveal  his  Son  in  me,"  &c. 

That  such  a  knowledge  of  "  the  only  true  God,"  and  of 
"  Jesus  Christ"  whom  he  hath  sent,  should  not  merely  pro- 
cure, or  give,  but  be  "  eternal  life,"  is  not  strange.  What 
should  it  be  but  that,  and  what  should  or  could  it  give  more 
than  itself? 


368  ETERNAL   LIFE. 

A  few  minutes  more,  and  I  have  done. 

Jesus  said  (v.  2)  that  he  would  give  eternal  life  to  as 
many  as  the  Father  had  given  him.  From  our  text  we  have 
learned  what  that  eternal  life  is.  The  absence  of  it  is 
eternal  death.  Hear  it,  my  unconverted  hearers, —  the  ab- 
sence of  this  knowledge  is  eternal  death  !  You  have  a 
knowledge  of  God  and  of  Christ,  but  it  is  the  knowledge 
unto  judgment,  and  unto  that  death  which  never  dieth. 

And,  as  you  know  God,  so  he  knows  you ;  not  with  that 
knowledge  with  which  he  knowrs  his  own.  If  you  do  not 
repent,  he  will,  on  that  great  day,  call  you  workers  of  in- 
iquity, and  unroll  before  you  the  black  register  of  your 
impenitent  lives.  The  Searcher  of  hearts  will  know  you  most 
perfectly,  as  he  knows  all  his  enemies  throughout  his  vast 
empire;  but  he  will  declare  to  you  that  he  "never  knew 
you  "  as  his  own.  His  last  word  to  you  will  be,  "  Depart 
from  me!" 

But,  behold,  "  eternal  life  "  is  still  within  your  reach.  In 
the  name  of  Christ  I  offer  it  to  you,  beseeching  you,  in  his 
stead,  Be  ye  reconciled  to  God  !  I  invite  you,  at  his  com- 
mand, saying,  Come,  all  things  are  ready  !  I  will  wash  my 
hands  before  you  ;  I  will  be  innocent  of  your  blood.  Be 
warned,  be  entreated  !  As  you  return  home,  repair  to  your 
closets  ;  give  yourselves  to  Christ,  and,  cleaving  to  his  prom- 
ise, ask  for  that  glorious  knowledge  of  him  and  of  his  Father 
which  is  eternal  life,  and  you  will  receive  it. 


III. 

THE  FATHER  MANIFESTED  BY  THE  SON. 

I  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth  :  I  have  finished  the  work  which  thou 
gavest  me  to  do.  And  now,  0  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own 
self,  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world  was.  I  have 
manifested  thy  name  unto  the  men  which  thou  gavest  me  out  of  the  world  : 
thine  they  were,  and  thou  gavest  them  me  ;  and  they  have  kept  thy 
word.  Now  they  have  known  that  all  things  whatsoever  thou  hast  given 
me  are  of  thee  :  for  I  have  given  unto  them  the  words  which  thou  gavest 
me  ;  and  they  have  received  them,  and  have  known  surely  that  I  came  out 
from  thee,  and  they  have  believed  that  thou  didst  send  me.  — John  17  : 
4—8. 

In  the  first  four  verses  of  this  chapter  we  have  listened  to 
the  beginning  of  an  address  made  by  Jesus  to  his  Father  who 
sent  him,  such  as  no  creature  can  venture  upon  without 
being  guilty  of  blasphemous  presumption. 

But  as  this  matchless  address  to  God  began,  so  it  continues 
unabated ;  and  the  humble  and  despised  Jesus  soars  like  the 
royal  eagle  in  highest  air,  lost  in  sunshine,  and  hardly  per- 
ceptible to  the  traveller  of  the  du3t.  Yet,  what  we  can  see 
of  his  majestic  movements  we  love  to  see,  for  we  love  him, — 
and  we  ought  to  see  it,  for  it  concerns  us  to  see  it  and  to 
know  it. 

,  I  will  not  detain  you,  my  hearers,  with  introductory 
remarks.  I  beg  leave  to  direct  your  minds  to  two  topics 
chiefly ;  but  I  shall  not  confine  myself  to  them  in  such  a  way 


370  THE   FATHER   MANIFESTED    BY   THE   SON. 

as  to  lose  sight  of  the  important  truths  and  facts  which  cluster 
around  them. 

I  purpose  to  speak 

I.  Of  the  essential  manifestation  on  earth  of 
the  Father  by  the  Son. 

II.  Effectually  made  to  believing  men. 

I.  The  address  of  Christ  to  his  Father  began  on  so  high 
moral  ground  that  none  would  have  expected  to  see  it  rise  to 
still  more  sublime  and  transcending  realms  of  light.  But 
hear ! 

"And  now,  0  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own 
self,  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world 
was."  (John  17  :  5.)  Speaking  to  his  Father  in  the  reveren- 
tial yet  confiding  accents  of  the  Son,  who  was  from  eternity, 
"in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,"  and  "in  the  form  of  God," 
but  now,  for  man's  redemption,  wore  "  the  form  of  a  servant " 
(Phil.  2 :  6,  7),  he  declares  that  he  possessed  and  enjoyed 
glory  with  the  Father,  and  that  before  so  much  as  one 
creature  was  made  !  This  is  not,  therefore,  the  relative  and 
dependent  glory  of  a  creature,  but  the  glory  of  God,  he 
being  the  only  then  existing  being.  "In  the  beginning  was 
the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  w;is 
God."  "And  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among 
us,  and  we  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten 
of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth."  (John  1 :  1,  14.) 
Proofs  from  the  Scriptures  of  the  absolute  divinity  of  Christ 
might  easily  be  adduced ;  but  our  time  is  too  limited,  and  I  will 
suppose  the  sentiments  of  my  hearers  to  be  scriptural  on  this 
subject.  But,  if  Christ  was  absolutely  divine  from  eternity, 
then  it  follows  that  the  glory  he  then  possessed,  and  now 
asks  for,  is  absolutely  divine  glory.  It  is  also  to  be 
observed   that  he  says,   "And  now,  glorify  thou  me  with 


THE   FATHER   MANIFESTED   BY   THE   SON.  371 

thine  own  self  (an  expression  which  is  emphatic  in  the 
original),  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee  (here  without 
emphasis)  before  the  world  was."  And  the  language  which 
Christ  then,  doubtless,  used  is  perfectly  capable  of  that 
emphasis,  so  that  John  may  well  be  supposed  to  have  given 
us  a  rendering  of  the  prayer  of  Christ  into  Greek,  not  only 
substantially  correct,  but  critically  accurate,  in  this  as  in  all 
other  parts  of  it.  Nor  was  .this  emphasis  uncalled  for  by  the 
circumstances.  The  Son  stands  before  the  Father,  H  made  in 
the  likeness  of  men,"  humbled  into  a  slave  (povlo^  Phil.  2: 
7),  and  preparing  to  die  the  slave's  ignominious  death.  And 
may  he  now, —  this  is  the  question, —  thus  united  to  human- 
ity, ask  again  for  all  his  former  infinite  and  transcending 
glory  which  he  had  "with  the  Father"?  Yes,  he  may,  is 
the  answer, —  he  does;  hence  the  emphasis,  "  And  now,  0 
Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own  self"  —  that  is, 
nothing  less  and  nothing  lower  than  with  thine  own  self.  I, 
Jesus,  with  soul  and  body,  ask  to  be  glorified.  And  so 
he  was, —  raised  in  human  nature  to  the  "  own  right  hand  " 
of  the  Father  in  heavenly  places,  far  above  all  principality, 
and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is 
named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that  which  is  to 
come  "  (Eph.  1 :  20,  21),  "  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  (and 
this  is  the  name  of  "God  manifested  in  the  flesh")  every 
knee  should  bow"  in  heaven,  earth  and  hell,  and  every 
tongue  throughout  the  universe  confess  him  Lord  !  (Phil.  2 : 
10,  11.) 

And  of  this  Jesus  was  conscious  in  that  upper  chamber, 
and  for  this  he  asks. 

He  says  further  to  his  heavenly  Father,  concerning  himself, 
"  I  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth,  I  have  finished  the  work 
which  thou  gavest  me  to  do,"  verse  4.     "The  work"  which 


372      THE  FATHER  MANIFESTED  BY  THE  SON. 

the  Father  gave  him  to  do,  and  by  which  —  as  we  saw  in 
meditating  on  verse  1  —  the  Father  was  to  be  glorified,  was 
the  whole  work  of  redemption.  This  work  Jesus  pronounces 
here  "finished,"  and  his  Father's  name  as  thereby  "glorified 
on  the  earth  "  through  the  Son.  Here  the  Son  stands  before 
the  Father  upon  the  sunny  height  of  divine  omniscience,  where 
the  past,  the  present  and  the  future,  are  one.  What  was  yet 
future  in  the  progress  of  the  events  composing  the  history  of 
redemption  was  between  the  Son  and  the  Father  "  finished." 

A  short  time  before,  standing  on  humbler  ground,  Jesus 
said,  "The  hour  is  come,"  and  "now  is  my  soul  troubled, 
and  what  shall  I  say?  Father,  save  me  from  this  hour!  " 
(John  12.)  "I  have  a  baptism  to  be  baptized  with,  and  how 
am  I  straitened  till  it  be  accomplished  !  "  (Luke  12  :  50.) 
And  an  hour  after  the  prayer  contained  in  our  chapter,  pros- 
trate in  the  garden  he  groans,  "If  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup 
pass  from  me !  "  —  and  again,  "  If  this  cup  may  not  pass  away 
from  me,  except  I  drink  it,  thy  will  be  done  !  "  0,  precious 
love  !     0,  infinite  compassion  ! 

But  here  he  speaks  with  divine  dignity.  Although  the 
most  terrific  part  of  his  atoning  work  was  still  before  him, — 
was  already  approaching,  and  within  his  very  sight,  and 
it  is  then  that  hearts  melt  and  fail, —  he  is  so  perfectly  certain 
of  his  Father,  and  so  perfectly  certain  of  himself,  that  the 
completion  of  the  dread  work  is  as  sure  as  God  and  heaven ; 
it  lies  as  an  eternal  reality  between  the  two  Divine  Person- 
ages, real,  immutable  as  the  joint  throne  of  both  in  glory, — 
"I  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth;  I  have  finished  the 
work  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do."  This  being  the  case, 
there  existed,  then,  no  further  obstacle  to  the  Son's  being 
glorified  by  the  Father  with  his  former  divine  glory,  and  that 


THE  FATHER  MANIFESTED  BY  THE  SON.      373 

as  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  as   "  the  man   Christ 
Jesus,"  verse  5. 

We  proceed.  "  I  have  manifested  thy  name  unto  the  men 
which  thou  gavest  me  out  of  the  world,"  verse  6.  That  God 
was  bearing  a  relation  to  the  pious  similar  to  that  of  a  father 
unto  his  children,  was  revealed,  and  thus  "manifested," 
under  the  old  covenant,  though  not  referred  to  as  frequently 
nor  as  clearly  as  under  the  new.  But  we  have  not  to  do 
here  with  a  revelation  or  manifestation  couched  in  words,  or 
illustrated  in  providential  divine  actions.  Jesus  does  not 
speak  here  of  a  comparatively  clearer  manifestation  of  the 
paternal  relation  of  God  to  the  pious,  but  of  a  positive  and 
especial  one.  Jesus  speaks  of  that  manifestation  of  God  the 
Father  which  He,  the  Son,  alone  could  make,  in  his  advent,  his 
person,  and  the  testimony  of  his  whole  being,  in  the  which 
was  fyeheld  the  glory  of  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father,  full 
of  grace  and  truth.  By  the  prophets  was  made  to  the  people 
of  God  the  verbal  manifestation  of  his  paternal  name.  By 
the  Son,  the  real,  concrete,  embodied  proof  and  presence  of 
it  was  set  forth  to  the  church  of  the  living  God,  for  their 
present  and  actual  fruition  in  Christ.  The  eternal  Son,  by 
his  identifying  himself  with  us  through  his  participation  in 
our  nature,  became  to  us  who  believe  the  real  manifestation, 
and  the  manifest  reality  of  the  paternity,  in  Christ,  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  to  those  who  are  members  of  the  body  of  his 
eternal  and  only-begotten  Son.  Hence  the  assurance  of 
Jesus,  "No  man  cometh  to  the  Father,  but  through  me." 
He  is  the  only  way  and  medium.  To  this  all-important 
truth,  and  to  the  fact  that  this  his  relation  to  men  continued 
after  his  resurrection  and  ascension,  he  refers  in  saying 
(John  20  :  17),  "  I  ascend  unto  my  Father  and  your  Father, 
and  to  my  God  and  your  God."  This  is  to  say  that  by  his 
32 


374  THE   FATHER   MANIFESTED   BY   THE   SON. 

assumption  of  their  nature,  and  by  their  union  with  him, 
by  faith,  Jesus  and  his  people  have  made  such  an  exchange, 
and  entered  into  such  a  relation  to  one  another,  and  are 
sharing  each  other's  predicaments  in  such  a  manner,  that  — 
with  the  necessary  limitations  introduced  by  his  character  as 
the  Eternal  Son,  and  theirs  as  creatures  —  his  Father  has 
become  their  Father,  and  their  God  has  become  his  God. 
And  this  is  the  real  manifestation  of  the  fathership  of  God  to 
his  people,  made  by  and  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  in  none  else. 

II.  This  manifestation  Jesus  Christ  made,  and  still  does 
make,  effectually  to  his  own  people.  Here  his  blessed  Spirit  is 
the  ever-present  agent,  supplying  his  visible  presence  effectu- 
ally, till  He  and  they  meet  in  glory,  to  part  no  more  for- 
ever. 

"I  have  given  unto  them  the  words  which  thou  gavest 
me,"  verse  8.  Having  brought  his  people  into  this,  real 
filiation  towards  God,  he  gives,  or  transmits  unto  them 
also  the  "words" — not  the  "  word  "  —  which  his  Father 
gave  him.  The  term  rendered  here  by  "words"  signifies 
sentences,  or  sentiments,  uttered ;  it  is  concrete  in  its  nature, 
practical,  familiar,  and  intimate  in  the  connection  in  which  it 
stands  here. 

All  that  the  eternal  God  and  Father  ever  spoke  to  man,  or 
to  any  other  creature  in  the  universe,  was  spoken  through 
that  divinely  personal  Word  by  whom  the  worlds  were  made, 
and  who,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  became  flesh,  and  dwelt 
among  us.  When  He  came  in  bodily  shape,  how  many 
blessed  and  "gracious  words  "  did  he  not  bring  from  heaven 
with  him !  Blot  out  what  he  brought  down  with  him, — 
extinguish  that  "true  light,"  whose  rays  are  not  unfre- 
quently  reflected  by  the  law  and  the  prophets,  even  before 
he  came,  just  as  the  morning  twilight  precedes  the  risihg 


THE   FATHER  MANIFESTED   BY   THE   SON.  375 

sun, —  and  look,  then,  at  those  opaque  bodies  of  the  old  cove- 
nant, and  how  dreary  will  they  look  !  Truly,  He  gave  us, 
both  by  his  coming  and  his  speaking,  the  "  words  "  of  the 
Father. 

"  The  law  was  given  by  Moses,  but  grace  and  truth  came  (or, 
better,  became,  that  is,  came  into  existence)  by  Jesus  Christ." 
(John  1 :  17.)  "  He  that  is  of  the  earth," —  that  is,  earth- 
born  merely,  as  Moses,  the  prophets,  and  John  the  Baptist, 
the  greatest  of  them  all, — "  he  that  is  of  the  earth  is  earthly, 
and  speaketh  of  the  earth,"  although  the  revelation  of  God 
be  in  his  heart  and  in  his  mouth,  when  compared  to  him 
"  that  cometh  from  heaven,"  and  who  "  is  above  all," — for  Him 
"God  hath  sent"  in  a  manner  in  which  he  sent  none  other  ; 
and  he  "  speaketh  the  words  of  God  "  as  no  one  else  ever  did, 
for  God  gave  not  the  Spirit  by  measure  unto  him,  but  with- 
out measure,  and  "hath  given  all  things  into  his  hands," 
so  that  "  he  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life, 
and  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."  (John  2  :  31—36.)  The 
words  of  the  Father  came  unto  us  emphatically  by  Christ,  and 
in  this  sense  by  him  alone  ;  and  hence  it  is  that  the  reception 
or  rejection  of  him  decides  upon  the  eternal  destiny  of  the 
immortal  soul,  for  glory  or  for  ruin. 

But  the  term  M  words  "  doubtless  includes  at  the  same  time 
all  those  sweet  secret  manifestations  of  God  to  his  children 
which  constitute  his  paternal  intercourse  with  them.  All 
that  they  ever  hear  and  learn  of  the  Father,  as  to  instruction, 
warning,  consolation,  assurance  or  triumph,  all  comes  through 
the  mediation  of  Christ.  He  includes  it  all  here  in  the  past 
sense,  as  he  does  his  still  impending  sufferings  and  death. 
He  gave  them,  and  He  gives  these  "  words  "  to  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty.     Yes,  let  me  utter  it 


376  THE   FATHER  MANIFESTED   BY   THE   SON. 

with  one  word.  In  Christ  are  disclosed  and  given  unto  us 
who  believe,  essentially  and  really,  all  those  paternal  words, 
thoughts,  feelings  and  purposes,  which  God  cherishes  in  our 
several  cases ;  and  all  these  together  are  indeed  the  "  words  " 
of  the  Father,  given  by  him  to  Christ,  and  by  Christ  to  us. 
"  I  have  given  them  the  words  which  thou  gavest  me." 
11  Thine  they  were,  and  thou  gavest  them  me."  (verse  6.) 
Christ  has  laid  aside  the  character  of  creator,  and  speaks 
as  mediator  only.  He  speaks  to  the  Father,  who,  in  the 
wrork  of  the  atonement,  represents  the  entire  Divinity,  between 
whom  and  man  he,  "  the  man  Christ  Jesus,"  stands  in  his 
mediatorial,  reconciling  office.  Therefore  he  has  now,  acting 
thus  officially,  nothing  to  do  with  man's  creation.  "  Thine 
they  were,"  Lord  God,  who  madest  them  moral  and  respons- 
ible beings,  in  thine  own  image  and  likeness ;  they  fell,  and 
thou  becamest  unto  them  "a  consuming  fire,"  and  "  ever- 
lasting burning."  But  there  was  a  council  and  agreement 
between  thee  and  me  from  eternity,  "  before  the  world  was," 
entered  into  by  us  while  seated  together  in  that  united  glory 
which  I  shall  now  share  again  with  thee,  bringing  my  adopted 
humanity  with  me  into  it.  And  then,  lo  !  I  came,  in  the 
volume  of  the  book  it  was  written  of  me.  And  as  I  came,  and 
the  mediatorial  personage  existed,  thou  having  sworn  by  thy- 
self that  thou  hast  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  sinner,  in 
the  exercise  of  thine  infinite  divine  benevolence  ' '  gavest  them 
me."  This  transaction  is  done.  They  were  thine,  the 
Creator's;  they  belonged  to  the  holy  universal  Sovereign, 
against  whom  they  had  rebelled,  and  from  whom  just  and 
infinite  wrath  was  ready  to  descend  and  to  abide  upon  them, 
burning  forever.  Now  they  are  mine,  the  Mediator's,  the 
Redeemer's,  who  laid  aside  for  them  his  glory,  esteeming 
their  salvation  a  more  desirable  object  than  the  undisturbed 


THE   FATHER  MANIFESTED   BY   THE   SON.  377 

enjoyment  of  his  own  divine  prerogatives.  Now  they  belong 
to  me,  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world ;  to  me,  who  am  standing  ready  to  pay  the  ransom  of 
their  souls  with  my  life-blood  ! 

Blessed  sentiments,  glorious  truths,  are  these  !  Believers 
belong  emphatically  to  Christ  already  now  and  forever  ;  and 
his  "work"  for  them  is  "finished,"  and  can  never  be 
undone  again.  Kepentance  is  hid  from  his  eyes.  The  eter- 
nal decree,  and  the  fact  finished  in  time,  are  alike  fixed  and 
irrevocable. 

No  wonder  if  the  revelation  of  Christ  to  these  souls  is 
effectual.  He  has  "finished"  a  "work"  for  them  which 
cannot  but  be  carried  out  in  them.  That  also  is  as  good  as 
"finished." 

1  And  they  have  kept  thy  word." — What  could  the  finished 
work  of  redemption,  and  the  most  perfect  transmission  of  the 
Father's  "  words,"  do  for  a  soul  who  would  not  keep  his 
word  ?  And  where  is  that  soul  that  would  keep  it,  if  left 
alone  1  So  important  an  influence  and  agency  in  the  great 
question  of  our  personal  salvation  could  not  be  left  to  our  own 
decision  or  management,  unless  the  whole  work  of  redemp- 
tion, given  by  the  Father  to  the  Son  to  do,  was  to  be  worse 
than  vain  in  every  single  instance,  and  the  greatest  failure, 
and  the  most  useless  waste  of  means,  outstripping  calculation, 
which  the  universe  ever  beheld. 

Nor  was  this  too  responsible  trust  left  to  hands  of  clay,  or 
to  the  resolution  and  the  consistency  of  hearts  beset  with 
mighty  and  subtle  foes  within  and  without.  No,  Christ 
takes  care  of  that.  The  phrase,  "  they  have  thy  word,"  is 
but  in  a  very  small  measure  retrospective.  How  little, 
indeed,  had  his  disciples  kept,  till  then,  of  the  Father's 
words  !  How  little  had  they  even  understood  them  till  then  ! 
32* 


378  THE   FATHER  MANIFESTED   BY   THE   SON. 

Yes,  till  then,  when  they  were  all  ready  to  forsake  Christ  and 
to  flee !  How  little  did  they  know,  after  his  death,  of  the 
connection,  the  cause  and  the  consequences,  of  that  event ! 
They  had  not  the  remotest  conception  of  it,  considering  all 
lost,  irrecoverably  and  forever  lost !  The  sentence  is  emphati- 
cally prospective,  and  thus  agrees  with  other  sentiments  with 
which  it  is  connected.  Christ  sees  the  end  from  the  begin- 
ning; yea,  he  determines  the  end  himself,  and,  engaging 
both  for  himself  and  for  his  people,  insures  the  success  of 
redemption,  both  on  his  part  and  on  theirs ;  and  down  from 
this  elevation  and  divine  vantage-ground  he  says,  ' '  And 
they  have  kept  thy  word."  As  his  part  of  the  great  work 
is  sure,  so  is  theirs ;  and  that  certainty  stands  upon  the 
same  ground  of  the  counsel  of  his  will  and  the  operation  of 
his  Spirit  and  power,  both  in  the  divine  Head  and  in  the 
dependent  members. 

This  keeping  of  the  Father's  word  by  believers  is  further 
characterized  as  manifesting  itself  in  them  by  the  production 
of  a  profound  experimental  knowledge  of  the  divine  origin 
of  all  that  which  the  Father  had  given  to  the  Son,  and  he 
again  committed  to  them.  The  fact  of  the  oneness  of  both  in 
the  work  of  redemption  can  be  known  by  perception  and 
actual  experience.  It  can  be  felt  that  the  work  is  equally 
worthy  of  both,  demands  the  participation  of  both,  and 
insures  by  its  moral  character  the  perfect  harmony  of  both. 
It  can  be  seen,  by  those  who  have  eyes  to  see,  that  any  sup- 
position, different  or  contrary,  is  absurd,  if  God  is  God.  It 
can  be  known  that  all  the  things  which  the  Father  gave  to 
the  Son  are  of  him,  and  came  out  of  the  unexplored  ocean  of 
his  absolute  and  infinite  divine  perfections.  And  this  knowl- 
edge Christ  ascribes  to  his  own  people:  they  possess  it. 
They  have,  however,  not  learnt  it  of  flesh  and  blood,  not  from 


THE   FATHER  MANIFESTED   BY   THE   SON.  379 

books  nor  from  men,  but  from  personal  experience  in  divine 
things,  and  by  the  teachings  of  the  spirit  of  grace. 

And  can  we  wonder  if  they  receive  gladly  the  "  words  "  of 
the  Father, — " and  they  have  received  them"  1  What  should 
they  receive  rather  than  the  divine  communications  from  the 
bosom  of  their  heavenly  Father  ?  All  is  precious  to  them, 
all  dear,  all  sweet.  "  Thy  words  were  found,  and  I  did  eat 
them,"  they  may  exclaim.  They  are  sweeter  to  them  than 
honey  and  the  honey-comb,  more  precious  than  thousands  of 
gold  and  silver.  And  here  also  Christ  engages  to  insure  the 
result,  considering  well  the  waywardness  of  the  human  heart, 
and  says,  "  And  they  have  received  them."  This  settles  the 
case  forever  in  favor  of  every  true  believer. 

The  reception  of  these  words  in  the  manner  described  is 
to  them  the  means  of  a  growing  knowledge  of  the  divine 
character  of  the  Saviour,  and  of  his  personal  mission  from 
the  bosom  of  the  Father  into  this  sinful  world.  This  truth, 
thus  experimentally  known,  becomes  the  central  moral  truth 
of  the  sold.  Falling  in  with  the  constant,  clear  and  undeni- 
able testimony  on  the  subject  of  God's  revealed  Book,  this 
experimental  knowledge  of  the  mystery  of  godliness,  God 
manifested  in  the  flesh,  receives  confirmation  from  the  Bible, 
and  casts  a  bright  refulgence  upon  every  part  of  it  in  return. 
Proofs  and  reasonings  for  or  against,  from  other  sources  than 
these  two,  Scripture  and  experience,  are  neither  needed  nor 
dreaded.  Here  is  divine  ground,  and  a  kind  and  degree  of 
certainty  such  as  human  science  will  always  lack. 

But  this  knowledge  of  believers  concerning  the  divine 
character  of  Christ,  and  of  his  mission,  is  not  the  opposite 
of  faith.  Here  faith  and  knowledge  are  akin  to  one 
another,  and  form  the  alternating  steps  of  that  scale  of  spir- 
itual growth  on  which  the  sanctified  human  mind  will  reach 


380  THE  FATHER  MANIFESTED   BY  THE   SON. 

forward  and  upward,  in  eager,  constant,  glorious,  eternal 
development, —  faith  leading  to  knowledge, —  knowledge  dis- 
posing for  and  calling  to  ever  new  exercises  of  faith.  The 
mission  of  Christ  from  the  bosom  of  the  Father  —  the  mani- 
festation of  God  in  the  flesh  —  cannot  be  perfectly  known 
till  God  is  found  out  unto  perfection,  which  will  never  be 
accomplished  by  a  creature.  There  abideth,  therefore,  even 
in  the  other  world,  faith,  hope  and  love, —  these  three  ;  faith 
in  all  that  which  is  not  yet  known  to  the  expanding  soul. 
But  if  this  be  the  case  there,  how  much  more  here  ;  and  how 
proper  must  it  ever  be  for  a  moral  agent  of  God's  creation  to 
exercise  faith  and  trust  in  him  from  whom  all  his  blissful 
knowledge  was  derived  ! 

Thus  the  Lord's  people  approve  themselves  as  his.  They 
hear  his  voice ;  they  keep  his  Father's  word  ;  they  know,  by 
experience,  that  all  that  Jesus  brought  from  heaven  flows  from 
the  ocean  of  God's  perfections,  and  comes  through  Christ  to 
them,  while  they  gladly  and  gratefully  receive  the  communi- 
cations of  God's  paternal  heart  through  the  Spirit.  They 
possess  an  experimental  knowledge  of  the  mystery  of  godli- 
ness,—  God  manifested  in  the  flesh  ;  their  faith  of  all  sacred 
truth  yet  to  be  received  and  learned  by  them  rests  quietly 
in  the  holy  sovereignty  of  the  wise  and  benevolent  council 
of  that  unexplored  sea  of  love  which  forms  the  Divine  Being, 
of  whom  it  is  said,  God  is  love,  and  from  whom  the  eternal 
Son  proceeding  "  came  out  "  (v.  8)  and  "  was  made  flesh  ;" 
"  and  we  beheld  his  glory,  a  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten 
of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth." 

A  few  remarks,  and  I  have  done. 

1.  If  what  we  have  contemplated  is  true,  Christians  are 
certainly  "  a  peculiar  people."  I  look  over  the  narrow  path 
which  Christians  are  travelling  to  heaven,  and,  behold,  the 


THE  FATHER  MANIFESTED  BY  THE  SON.      381 

path  has  become  very  narrow,  and  little  travelled  !  0,  what 
hopes  will  the  last  day  sweep  away  !  what  fond  and  confident 
expectations  will  it  forever  disappoint !  Let  us  examine  our 
titles  to  heaven,  lest  we  be  deceived  now,  and  discover  the 
frightful  iflusion  when  it  shall  be  forever  too  late  ! 

2.  Believers,  behold  the  great  Captain  of  your  salvation, 
and  remember  what  he  said,  and  can  you  fear  ?  Fear  not ! 
your  salvation  is  his  concern  more  than  yours,  and  the  joy 
in  the  Lord  is  intended  to  be  your  strength.  "  Rejoice  ever- 
more "  "  in  the  hope  of  the  glory  of  God."  You  have 
divine  leave  and  commission  to  that  end.  Make  use  of  it, 
till  you  behold  the  pearly  gates  of  New  Jerusalem,  and  enter 
into  the  holy  city  to  dwell  with  the  Friend  of  your  soul  for- 
ever ! 

3.  Sinners,  see  what  privileges  and  blessings  you  reject ! 
Beware  !  your  conduct  will  one  day  prove  fatal  to  your  souls, 
and  may  prove  so  this  very  day  !  I  warn  you ;  flee  to  Him  ! 
Be  received  among  the  number  of  his  own,  and  in  an  instant 
your  covenant  with  him  is  sealed  in  heaven ;  he  is  yours,  and 
will  from  henceforward  effectually  reveal  to  you  the  glory  of 
his  Father. 


IT. 

THE  GREAT  INTERCESSION. 

I  pray  for  them  :  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for  them  which  thou  hast 
given  me;  for  they  are  thine,  And  all  mine  are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine; 
and  I  am  glorified  in  them.  And  now  I  am  no  more  in  the  world,  but 
these  are  in  the  world,  and  I  come  to  thee.  Holy  Father,  keep  through 
thine  own  name  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  that  they  may  be  one,  as 
we  are.  While  I  was  with  them  in  the  world,  I  kept  them  in  thy  name ; 
those  that  thou  gavest  me  I  have  kept,  and  none  of  them  is  lost  but  the 
son  of  perdition,  that  the  Scripture  might  be  fulfilled.  And  now  come  I 
to  thee,  and  these  things  I  speak  in  the  world,  that  they  might  have  my 
joy  fulfilled  in  themselves.  —  John  17  :  9 — 13. 

The  first  petition  of  Christ  to  his  Father  is  to  be  glorified 
with  the  Father  himself  with  the  same  divine  glory  which 
they  enjoyed  together,  in  perfect  harmony  and  equal  fulness, 
before  the  first  dawn  of  creation,  (v.  5.)  The  sovereign 
voice,  Let  there  be  light !  had  not  broken  the  eternal  silence 
of  that  vast,  black  realm,  which  now,  lit  up  with  millions  of 
suns,  affords  a  transient  chance  of  pleasing  existence  to  suc- 
cessive generations  of  sensitive  beings.  The  morning  stars 
had  not  yet  opened  the  enraptured  eye  to  behold  the  glories 
of  an  illimitable  sky,  nor  tuned  their  untried  voices  to  the 
virgin  hymn  of  creation.  The  suns  and  planets  of  the  uni- 
verse, the  silver  dust  floating  around  the  footstool  of  the 
infinite  and  eternal  God,  had  not  yet  started  on  those  revolu- 


THE    GREAT   INTERCESSION.  383 

tions,  so  stupendous,  so  bewildering,  to  the  most  expanded 
and  gigantic  human  intellect.  God  was  —  the  I  Am  that  I  Am 
—  in  self-sufficient  glory,  and  there  was  none  else.  But  that 
God  was  not  the  isolated,  desolate  and  barren  unite  of  the 
Deist,  but,  according  to  Scripture,  the  Triune  God, —  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  one  God. 

Three  Persons  in  one  God  afforded  the  divine  ground  for 
the  Father's  contemplating  his  own  infinite  perfections  in 
him  who  was  the  personal  image  of  him,  in  the  Spirit  of  both, 
and  for  the  reciprocation  of  the  contemplation  by  the  Son. 
It  afforded  trie  ground  for  the  exchange  of  affections  infinite 
in  holiness  and  power,  and  in  corresponding  bliss  and  glory, 
and  for  the  communication  of  thoughts  and  purposes  such  as 
absolute  divine  wisdom  and  goodness  would  conceive  and 
mature.  Thus  the  love  exercised  in  the  Divine  Mind  be- 
fore creation  was  not  self-love  or  seZ/'-apprgbation,  as  the 
original  affection  of  the  Deist's  God  must  ever  be.  This 
would  limit  and  even  lower  the  Divine  Mind,  and  make  God 
dependent,  for  the  Exercise  of  real  love,  upon  the  existence 
of  his  own  creation.  Not  so  the  God  of  the  Bible.  He  is 
triune,  and  thus  possessed  within  his  own  divine  nature  of  all 
that  is  necessary  for  the  exercise  of  real  moral  affection,  love, 
holy  and  higher  far  than  self -love, —  love  for  the  perfections 
of  a  holy  object.  Such  blissful  converse,  for  the  exercise  of 
which  the  Three  in  One  were  divinely  independent  of  any 
contemplated  future  creation,  was  the  eternal  glory  of  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost. 

One  God  in  three  Persons  afforded  the  divine  ground  of 
that  perfect  and  indissoluble  divine  harmony  and  union,  with- 
out which  their  most  holy  converse  could  not  have  been  per- 
fectly blissful,  being  subject  to  contingency  and  change.  Had 
they  been  three  persons  in  a  creature  sense,  and  still  each 


384  THE   GREAT  INTERCESSION. 

divine,  they  would  not  only  have  been  three  Gods,  but  also 
three  between  whom  there  was  conceivable  a  difference,  and 
consequent  separation  of  purpose.  But  this  divine  and  eter- 
nal harmony,  union,  yea,  oneness,  existed  really,  and  ever 
will  exist,  in  the  unchangeable  divine  Being ;  and  whatever 
delightful  peace  and  melting  intimacy,  cemented  by  holiest 
affection  and  united  purpose,  could  be  spread  over  the  infinite 
and  eternal  Mind,  all  that  rolled  in  an  ocean  of  glory  there, 
eternally,  as  the  necessary  result  of  the  oneness  of  the  Three, 
—  the  glory  from  all  eternity  past,  not  one  creature  yet 
existing, —  the  glory  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost, —  one  God. 

And,  for  the  return  to  this  glory,  the  Son,  clothed  in 
human  flesh,  asked  when  the  work  of  redemption  through  his 
blood  should  be  completed ;  and  this  was  to  be  done  no  less  to 
the  glory  of  tjie  Father  himself,  as  effected  in  the  divine 
reciprocation  by  the  Son,  than  to  the  glory  of  the  Son  him- 
self. 

After  this  retrospect,  we  turn  to  our  text.  With  the 
beginning  of  it  the  prayer  of  Christ  turns  to  his  disciples, — 
to  the  eleven  preeminently,  and  with  them  to  all  those  who 
were  to  be  entitled  to  the  name  of  disciples,  to  the  end  of 
time. 

In  contemplating  the  great  intercession  of  Christ  for  his 
disciples,  as  far  as  our  text  exhibits  it,  I  propose  to  speak 

I.  Of  his  plea  eor  it. 

II.  Of  the  occasion  of  it. 

III.  Of  its  contents. 

IV.  Of  its  object. 

I.  The  plea  Christ  offers  for  praying  in  such  a  particu- 
lar manner  for  his  disciples  is  two-fold.  (1.)  "  For  they  are 
thine;"  and  (2),  "I  am  glorified  in  them."  (vs.  9,  10.) 


THE   GREAT   INTERCESSION.  385 

"For  the j  are  thine." — In  verse  six,  Christ  says,  "Thine 
they  were ,  and  thou  gavest  them  me."  Here,  —  "  They  are 
thine."  Christ,  speaking  here  simply  as  mediator  between 
God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  says,  They  were  thine 
by  right  of  creation  and  preservation  ;  they  fell  into  sin,  and 
thou  gavest  them  me  for  the  purpose  of  redemption.  I  have 
redeemed  them  as  God  manifested  in  the  flesh,  and  have 
reconciled  them  unto  thee,  their  Father  and  my  Father  ;  and 
now,  they  being-  mine  by  right  of  redemption,  are  also  thine 
through  that  oneness  of  our  divine  nature,  upon  the  ground 
of  which  "all  mine  are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine."   (v.  10.) 

"lam  glorified  in  them"  is  the  second  part  of  the  plea. 
My  saving  power,  as  the  Redeemer  of  men,  he  says,  has  been 
manifested  in  them,  and  dwells  and  works  in  their  hearts. 
They  are,  and  ever  will  be,  trophies  of  my  vicarious  death ; 
gems  in  my  crown,  as  the  .Redeemer  of  the  world. 

You  notice  that  here,  as  in  former  instances,  Christ  speaks 
of  the  past,  the  present,  and  the  future,  in  one  tense.  All 
is  done  with  him.  Redemption  is  finished ;  in  virtue  of  it 
believers  are  already  the  Father's  children  in  Christ ;  He  is 
glorified  already  in  them.  Thus  he  insures  the  success  of 
his  redemption  both  for  them  and  in  them. 

This  two-fold  plea,  "  they  are  thine,"  and  "I  am  glorified 
in  them,"  when  it  was  presented  by  Christ  to  the  Father,  was 
found  true  and  valid,  and  proved  acceptable  to  the  Paternal 
heart,  according  to  the  measure  (if  a  measure  it  may  be 
called)  of  the  Father's  complacency  in  his  only-begotten,  full 
of  grace  and  truth,  in  whom  he  had  all  his  pleasure. 

"  I  pray  for  them,"  says  Jesus.  And  will  the  Father  say 
nay,  and  turn  away  his  face,  and  let  them  perish, —  even  the 
least,  the  weakest  of  them?  The  thought  is  preposterous, 
33 


386  THE   GREAT   INTERCESSION. 

and  blasphemous.  The  eternal  throne  is  no  more  immovable 
than  the  true  believer's  salvation. 

II.  But  there  is  a  particular  occasion  for  his  offering  up 
such  a  prayer,  just  at  this  period, —  a  period  unique  in  the 
history  of  the  universe.  To  this  occasion  he  alludes  by  say- 
ing, "  And  I  come  unto  thee." 

I  do  not  presume  to  search  into  all  the  mysteries  of  re- 
demption, into  which  angels  desire  to  look.  Secret  things 
belong  unto  God ;  unto  us,  things  revealed.  The  history  of 
redemption  has  a  beginning  and  an  end ;  has  its  periods, 
changes,  intervals,  contest  and  victories,  lights  and  shades. 
This  is  plain,  although  the  divine  reasons,  the  causes,  and  the 
connections  of  these  various  changes,  are  often  impenetrable 
to  us.  The  time  had  now  come,  in  the  progress  of  divinely- 
appointed  events,  when  Christ  was  no  longer  to  be  bodily 
present  with  his  disciples.  Indeed,  the  time  of  his  bodily 
presence  had  already  virtually  closed.  "  And  now  I  am 
no  more  in  the  world,"  he  says,  "but  these  are  in  the 
world."  Again,  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that 
Comforter  who  was  and  is  to  take  the  place  of  Christ,  in  a 
certain  sense,  with  his  disciples,  and  abide  with  them  till  his 
second  coming, —  that  outpouring  could  not  yet  take  place. 
It  was  necessary  that  Christ  should  first  ascend  to  heaven, 
enter  as  the  Eternal  High  Priest  into  the  Holy  of  holies 
there,  through  his  own  blood,  and  obtain  eternal  redemption 
for  us ;  and  then,  as  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords,  and 
Lord  of  angels,  sit  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  and 
thus  himself  "  shed  forth  this  which  ye  now  see  and  hear." 
Between  these  two  points  of  time,  however,  there  was  an 
interval,  during  which  the  disciples  -would  have  been  left  des- 
olate orphans,  —  well-nigh  "without  God  in  the  world,"  — 
and  in  what  a  world,  and  at  what  a  period  of  it !     When  that 


THE   GREAT  INTERCESSION.  387 

"hour"  of  "the  power  of  darkness"  was  at  hand,  in  which 
Christ  himself,  perspiring  clear  blood,  writhed  in  anguish  on 
the  ground,  and  groaned  out  his  feelings  of  desertion  on  the 
accursed  tree  ;  when  all  hell  was  let  loose  ;  when  the  powers 
of  the  pit  shouted,  and  the  angels  of  peace  wept,  and  all 
nature  mourned  and  trembled ;  when  every  spark  of  hope 
was  carried  to  the  tomb  with  the  cold,  pale  corpse  of  the 
beloved  friend  of  sinners,  and  many  an  almost  despairing 
believer  wras  ready  to  seek  death,  because  the  last  ray  of  sal- 
vation died,  as  the  blessed  eyes  of  Jesus  closed  upon  this  vale 
of  tears  ! 

At  this  eventful  period,  —  the  very  hinge  upon  which  the 
world's  salvation,  and  the  existence  of  the  church,  was  to 
turn,  by  divine  appointment, —  at  this  period  the  disciples 
were  not  to  be  left  alone ;  and,  therefore,  Christ  commits 
them  to  the  particular  and  extraordinary  keeping  of  the 
Father,  whose  relation  to  him  he  turns  to  their  special  bene- 
fit, in  this  trying  emergency.  "Holy  Father,  keep  through 
thy  own  name  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  that  they 
may  be  one,  as  we  are."  They  were  scattered,  every  one 
unto  his  own ;  but  their  bond  of  union  in  Christ  was  not 
broken,  for  this  would  have  been  the  lasting  dissolution  of 
the  church  of  Christ ;  and  this  bond  was  preserved,  because 
Christ  had  prayed  "  that  they  may  be  one,  as  we  are." 

"Holy  Father,  keep  through  thine  own  name  those  whom 
thou  hast  given  unto  me ;"  that  is,  as  the  presence  of  the 
Son  is  no  more  available  unto  them,  and  the  communion  of 
the  Spirit  not  yet,  take  thou,  Holy  Father,  the  special 
charge  of  these  scattered  sheep  ;  and,  in  the  exercise  of  those 
holy  paternal  affections  which  thou  hast  towards  me,  and 
through  me  towards  them, —  which  holy  and  benign  affec- 
tions constitute  thy  name  as   "Holy  Father,"  —  preserve 


388  THE    GREAT   INTERCESSION. 

them  from  despair,  disaffection,  separation,  and  every  snare 
and  peril  with  which  they  must  meet,  till  the  Sun  of  right- 
eousness shall  rise  again  on  the  third  day,  with  healing  in  his 
wings  ! 

This  was  a  great  transaction  between  Christ  and  his  Father 
in  heaven ;  and  the  consolation  flowing  from  it  for  every  Chris- 
tian is,  that  he  can  never  be  severed  from  the  special  care, 
guidance  and  protection,  of  the  Triune  God. 

III.  The  contents  of  the  prayer,  or  the  particular  blessing 
prayed  for,  we  find  in  the  words  already  alluded  to,  "that 
they  may  be  one,  as  we  are  one."  Another  time,  when,  God 
pleasing,  we  shall  meditate  on  the  verses  twentieth  to  twenty- 
third  of  our  chapter,  I  shall  have  to  speak  more  fully  on  the 
character  and  the  extent  of  Christian  union,  according  to  the 
intention  and  the  prayer  of  Christ.  Here  we  may,  therefore, 
confine  ourselves  to  the  narrower  limits  indicated  by  the  par- 
ticular circumstances  of  the  eleven  disciples,  and  other  believ- 
ers, at  that  time.  These  circumstances  would  give  to  the 
petition  of  Christ  on  their  behalf  the  extent,  that  they  should 
be  kept  in  their  attachment  to  Christ,  and  in  brotherly  love 
towards  one  another.  The  cases  of  Peter  and  of  Thomas  are 
particularly  suited  to  show  the  character  of  the  temptations 
under  which  they  would  all  have  perished  inevitably,  had 
they  been  left  to  themselves.  To  deny  Christ  with  oaths  and 
imprecations,  like  Peter  ;  or  to  tear  away  from  the  brethren, 
give  up  all  for  lost,  plunge  into  scepticism,  and  deny  credit 
to  the  predictions  of  Christ,  and  to  the  true  and  honest  testi- 
mony of  men  and  angels,  like  Thomas  ;  this,  and  much  more, 
too,  would  have  proved  their  common  ruin,  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  entire  economy  of  grace.  But  let  them  be  kept 
one  with  Christ,  and  one  with  each  other  in  him,  and  all 


THE   GREAT  INTERCESSION.  389 

is  safe.  And  for  this  great  object  Christ  prayed,  and  icas 
heard. 

In  connection  with  this  sentiment,  we  read  also  this  re- 
markable —  yes,  this  astounding  declaration  of  Christ  : 
"  While  I  was  with  them  in  the  world,  I  kept  them  in  thy 
name  :  those  that  thou  gavest  me  I  have  kept,  and  none  of 
them  is  lost,  but  the  son  of  perdition ;  that  the  Scripture 
might  be  fulfilled.'''  A  work  which  he  can  intrust  to  no 
angel  or  archangel, —  indeed,  to  none  save  to  the  "  Holy 
Father," — he  says  HE  did  it  while  he  was  with  his  disciples ! 
And  here  he  does  not  humbly  recognize  the  assistance  of  his 
Father,  in  this  work  of  spiritual  guardianship.  This  assist- 
ance does  not  appear  to  have  been  needed.  The  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  not  alluded  to,  neither  ;  for  the  Spirit  was  not 
yet  given,  Jesus  not  being  glorified  yet.  In  fact,  Christ 
expressly  distinguishes  between  his  guardianship  over  his  dis- 
ciples and  that  of  his  Father.  While  he  was  with  them  in 
the  world,  he  kept  them  in  the  exercise  of  powers  which  were 
sufficient  for  the  purpose,  and  over  which  he  had  the  ade- 
quate control.  Yes,  and  if  Judas  Iscariot  was  not  kept,  this 
happened  so,  Christ  testifies,  not  because  he,  Christ,  could 
not  have  kept  him  also,  but,  as  he  expressly  says,  because  he 
was  the  son  of  perdition,  in  whom  God  determined  "  to  show 
wrath  and  make  his  power  known." 

What  mere  creature,  in  heaven  or  on  earth,  could  ever  use 
such  language  as  this,  and  not  be  struck  down  to  the  stones 
of  the  pit  by  the  lightning  of  God's  righteous  vengeance  ! 
But  Jesus  of  Nazareth  says  it,  quietly,  humbly,  in  prayer, 
directly  addressing  the  "Holy  Father"  in  heaven,  and  that 
in  the  solemn  view  of  approaching  sufferings  and  death.  Nor 
cfoes  he  even  appear  like  one  who  is  conscious  of  saying  some- 
thing extraordinary ;  on  the  contrary,  all  this  is  uttered  as  a 
33* 


390  THE   GREAT  INTERCESSION. 

matter  familiar  to  the  mind  of  the  speaker,  and  readily  ad- 
mitted on  the  other  side.  Surely,  if  Christ  is  not  God  over 
all  and  blessed  forever,  say,  infidel,  who  or  what  is  he  ! 

IV.  The  object  of  the  prayer  of  Christ  for  his  disciples, 
as  indicated  in  our  text,  is  stated  by  himself  in  verse  13, 
— "  That  they  might  have  my  joy  fulfilled  in  themselves." 

Within  a  few  minutes  from  the  time  when  this  sentiment 
was  uttered,  he  said,  "  These  things  I  have  spoken  unto  you 
that  my  joy  might  remain  in  you,  and  that  your  joy  might 
be  full."'  (15 :  11.)  He  promised  them,  "  Your  heart 
shall  rejoice,  and  your  joy  no  man  taketh  from  you  "  (16  : 
22),  and  encouraged  them  henceforth  to  ask  or  pray  in 
his  name,  that  they  might  receive,  that  their  joy  might  be 
full.  (v.  24.)  In  taking  leave  of  them  he  gave  his  peace 
unto  them,  and  promised  them  still  further  his  Spirit  as 
their  Comforter.  And  here  he  prays  "  that  they  might 
have  my  joy  fulfilled  in  themselves."  This  is  the  object  of 
his  prayer ;  and  what  rich  and  gracious  provisions  are  these 
which  the  dying  Saviour  thus  made  for  the  comfort  and  the 
perseverance  and  the  preservation  of  his  outwardly  deserted 
saints  ! 

It  is  his  express  and  prayed-for  object  and  desire,  that  his 
disciples  should  have  joy,  that  that  joy  should  be  his  joy, 
and  that  it  should  dwell  in  them  fully,  or  be  adequate  and 
perfect  for  its  intended  purpose ;  and  that  it  should  be  per- 
rnanenl. 

There  is  room,  there  is  strong  inducement  here,  for  medi- 
tation, wherever  we  turn ;  but  I  must  hasten  to  the  close. 

The  joy  of  Christ,  poured  into  the  soul  by  him,  is  none 
other  but  the  joy  of  his  salvation,  for  which  David  prayed  so 
fervently  in  anticipation.  It  is  perfect  in  kind,  and  reached 
forward  to  whatever  degree  of  perfection  may  be  realized  by 


THE    GREAT   INTERCESSION.  391 

a  finite  being ;  and  it  is  permanent,  enduring  forever.  It  is 
the  joy  of  conscious  freedom  from  sin,  which  freedom  is  at 
once  perfect  in  Christ  before  God,  and  is  progressively 
inwrought  into  the  soul  by  the  indwelling  Spirit  and  grace  of 
God  in  Christ.  Where  darkness  reigns  there  is  no  light, 
and  where  sin  reigns  there  can  be  no  joy.  Joy  begins  to 
dawn  with  rosy  hue  as  soon  as  the  power  of  sin  is  broken. 
The  beginning  of  freedom  from  sin,  through  and  in  Christ,  is 
joy ;  the  end  of  it,  celestial  bliss,  an  eternal  weight  of  glory. 
This  joy  of  Christ  is  the  joy  of  perfect  pardon  and  reconcilia- 
tion with  God.  No  cure  from  sin  could  avail,  if  there  were 
left  an  unpardoned  sin  upon  the  soul.  But  a  renewed  state 
of  heart  and  an  unpardoned  sin  cannot  coexist.  Now  think 
of  a  sin-burdened  soul  that  is  all  at  once  made  to  feel  that 
she  has  no  more  sin  to  answer  for, —  that  all  is  pardoned, 
and  merged  in  oblivion  forever!  What  joy,  what  trans- 
port, what  peace,  what  overflowing  comfort,  must  that 
soul  feel !  The  joy  of  Christ  is  the  joy  of  fellowship 
with  him.  "  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee?  "  It  is  the 
joy  of  fellowship  with^his  people,  and  "  sweet,"  indeed,  "  is 
the  tie  that  binds  their  hearts  in  Christian  love ! "  It  is 
the  joy  of  doing  all  things  for  him.  Man  is  created  active, 
and  to  work  makes  him  happier  than  inactivity  does.  But  to 
work  for  any  one  or  anything  in  the  universe  less  and 
lower  than  God  leaves  him  still  toiling  amid  the  thorns  and 
thistles  of  the  accursed  ground.  To  work  for  God  solves 
the  great  problem  of  man's  eternal  activity.  Here  labor, 
hardship,  peril,  pain  and  death, —  all  is  joy,  true  joy,  lead- 
ing on  directly  to  the  holy  employments  of  heaven. 

That  a  joy  like  this  is  perfect  in  kind,  reaching  forward  to 
perfection  in  degree  and  will,  and  must  last  forever,  I  need 
not  repeat,  much  less  prove.     A  female  hero  in  the  faith,  a 


392  THE   GREAT  INTERCESSION. 

lady  of  high  distinction  and  extensive  influence  in  France, 
said,  "  What  is  not  eternal  I  do  not  fear."  Well  said  !  I 
add,  What  is  not  eternal  I  do  not  want !  Let  me  possess 
Christ,  and  let  temporal  things  be  "  added"  unto  me  for  my 
necessity, — not  for  my  gratification,  much  less  satisfaction. 

I  close  with  a  few  remarks. 

"  None  of  them  is  lost  but  the  son  of  perdition,  that  the 
Scripture  might  be  fulfilled."  False  disciples,  who  either 
seek  the  world  under  pretence  of  piety,  like  Judas  Iscariot,  or 
would  follow  Christ  and  the  world,  like  Ananias  and  Sap- 
phira,  Simon  Magus  and  Demas,  are  excluded.  Mark  this, 
ye  —  if  there  be  any  such  here  —  who  profess  godliness,  talk 
about  religion,  and  follow  the  pleasures  of  the  world,  and  please 
worldly  men.  Worldlings  are  excluded.  "I  pray  not  for  the 
world."  As  the  friend  of  men,  of  sinners,  he  may  often 
have  prayed  and  wept  secretly  for  their  conversion ;  but 
when  he  speaks  as  High  Priest,  as  the  only-begotten  of  the 
Father,  whose  very  petitions  are  sovereign,  carrying  with 
them  divine  authority  and  creative  power,  he  does  not,  he 
cannot,  pray  for  the  world.  Hear  this,  unconverted  sinner, 
and  tremble  !  You  are  excluded.  It  is  not  the  will  of  Christ, 
nor  of  the  Father,  that  you  should  be  saved  as  you  are.  You 
must  turn  or  perish.  And,  if  you  perish  at  last,  the  compas- 
sionate Saviour  who  died  for  you  will  not  have  so  much  as  a 
word  of  sympathy  or  of  intercession  for  you.  He  had  it  not 
while  on  earth ;  he  will  not  have  it  in  glory.  Now  is  the 
accepted  time  !     Now  is  the  day  of  salvation  ! 


y. 

THE  SOLEMN  AND  RESPONSIBLE  RELATION. 

They  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world.  Sanctify 
them  through  thy  truth :  thy  word  is  truth.  As  thou  hast  sent  me  into 
the  world,  even  so  have  I  also  sent  them  into  the  world.  And  for  their 
sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they  also  might  be  sanctified  through  the 
truth.  — John  17  :  16—19. 

We  have  listened  to  the  prayer  of  Christ  for  his  disciples  as 
far  as  it  extended  in  the  verses  ninth  to  fifteenth  of  this  chapter. 
Before  proceeding  to  his  further  petitions  on  their  behalf,  our 
Saviour  defines  the  position  of  his  people  while  they  are 
sojourning  here  below.  "  They  are  not  of  the  world,"  he 
said ;  and  yet  they  are  in  it,  and  continue  in  it,  while  he 
returns  into  glory.  "  These  are  in  the  world,  and  I  come 
unto  thee."  (v.  11.)  A  difficult  position,  indeed,  is  indi- 
cated by  these  three  considerations.  But  the  mention  of  his 
bodily  separation  from  them  leads  him  now  to  allude  to  their 
inward  connection  with  him,  their  invisible  glorified  Saviour ; 
and  this  involves  their  connection  in  him  with  the  Father, 
of  whom  he  now  asks  for  those  heavenly  gifts  and  graces  for 
which  their  relation  to  the  world  and  to  heaven  obviously  call. 
We  need  no  further  introduction,  but  may  at  once  take  into 
view  the  solemn  and  responsible  relations  which  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ  sustain  while  here  below. 


394  THE   SOLEMN  AND   RESPONSIBLE   RELATION. 

I.  Their  relations  to  the  world  and  to  Christ. 

II.  The  resources  of  grace  and  strength  they 
have  to  sustain  both. 

I.  (1.)  The  position  of  the  disciples  of  Christ  over  against 
the  world  their  divine  Master  first  defines  by  saying,  "  They 
are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world."  They 
are  in  the  world,  but  not  of  it.  What  it  is  to  be  of  the  world 
might  be  illustrated  by  a  variety  of  passages  from  the  Scrip- 
tures. But  we  need  not  go  beyond  our  text.  Christ  has 
chosen  to  draw  between  himself  and  his  disciples  a  close 
parallel  on  the  question  in  hand.  They  are  not  of  the  world, 
even  as  he  is  not  of  the  world.  His  own  personal 
relation  to  the  world  is  to  define  their  relation  to  it.  We 
need  no  further  comparison  of  Scripture  texts,  no  parallel 
passages. 

Said  Christ  to  the  Jews,  "  Ye  are  from  beneath,  I  am  from 
above ;  ye  are  of  this  world,  I  am  not  of  this  world."  (John 
8  :  23.)  And  are  his  disciples  also  "  not  of  this  world,"  but 
"from  above  "  ?  After  making  due  allowance  of  the  differ- 
ence between  him  who  was,  from  all  eternity  past,  "  God  over 
all  and  blessed  forever,"  and  us  creatures  of  yesterday,  I 
answer,  Yes.  Christians  are  "not  of  this  world,"  but  "  from 
above,"  in  a  far  higher  sense  than  is  generally  realized  among 
them.     For  — 

(a.)  Their  very  birth  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ  is  "  not 
of  this  world," — not  of  any  earthly  agency  whatever.  They 
are  born,  not  of  the  will  of  man,  or  of  any  earthly  means,  but 
"of  God."  (John  1 :  13.)  That  which  makes  them  dis- 
ciples —  and  it  is  with  this  that  we  have  to  do  —  is  from 
heaven. 

True,  there  is  an  important  and  undoubted  connection 
between  the  new  birth  and  the  outward  divinely  appointed 


TIIE   SOLEMN   AND   RESPONSIBLE   RELATION.  395 

means.  The  word  of  truth  in  the  sanctuary,  extraordinary 
and  concentrated  revival  measures,  the  Sabbath,  Christian 
education,  the  example,  prayer  and  faith  of  pious  parents  and 
of  the  church,  the  covenant  between  God  and  his  children, 
extending  to  their  offspring,  the  promises  of  God  pleaded  by 
believing  parents  when  offering  their  child  to  him  in  baptism, 
mercies,  afflictions,  and  whatever  other  means  or  influences 
can  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  conversion  of  the  soul, —  all 
these  are  readily  acknowledged  to  be  real  means  to  the  end. 
Still,  none  of  them  is  vested  in  itself  with  regenerating  or  con- 
verting power.  All  of  them  combined  do  not  embody  that 
power, —  unnumbered  cases  prove  the  assertion ;  no  accu- 
mulation of  such  means,  no  concentration  of  their  united 
power  and  agency,  can  turn  a  soul  from  darkness  to  light,  or 
from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God.  To  do  this,  to  renew  the 
heart,  is  the  office  of  God  the  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy 
Ghost.  He  that  created  us  must  create  U3  anew.  The 
Christian,  as  such,  is  strictly  a  new  creature. 

"The  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath 
begotten  us  again,"  Peter  confidently  asserts.  (1  Pet.  1:3.) 
Believers  "  are  born  of  God,"  and  more  particularly  of  him 
who  has  sent  his  Son  into  the  world.  (John  1  :  13,  and  1 
John  3  :  8  and  9.)  The  Holy  Spirit  has  an  agency  in  their 
regeneration  as  direct  as  that  of  God  the  Father.  Christ 
says,  in  the  plainest  possible  terms,  that  they  are  "born" 
"  of  the  Spirit "  (John  3:5),  and  are  therefore,  just  so  far  as 
they  are  born  again,  spirit;  that  is,  spiritual  in  their  na- 
ture, and  not  of  any  carnal  or  human  agency,  so  as  to  belong 
to  the  range  of  secondary  and  simple  instrumental  cause  and 
effect.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  their  cause  by  a  spiritually 
renewing  agency.  An  equally  positive  and  personal  agency 
in  the  work  of  regeneration  has  the   only-begotten  of  the 


396  THE   SOLEMN  AND   RESPONSIBLE   RELATION. 

Father.  "  Except  a  corn  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and 
die,  it  abideth  alone,  but  if  it  die  it  bringeth  forth  much 
fruit."  (John  12  :  24.)  "  When  thou  shalt  make  his  soul 
an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see  seed"  (Is.  53:  10)  a 
spiritual,  regenerated  posterity.  His  atoning  death  having 
taken  place,  his  blessed  name  should  "  generate,"  or  rather 
regenerate,  a  countless  posterity  (Ps.  72 :  17,  Hebrew  text), 
his  death  being  the  divine  power  to  bring  souls  to  him. 
(John  12:  32.)  Again,  Peter  maintains  that  "The  God 
and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  born  us  again 
by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead."  Here 
the  resurrection  is  conceived  as  embodying  and  securing,  as 
the  efficient  cause  in  the  hand  of  God,  the  new  birth,  the 
resurrection  to  newness  of  life  of  all  the  members  of  the  body 
of  Christ.  Thus  Jesus  is  most  immediately  and  intimately 
concerned  in  the  regeneration  of  his  people.  His  death,  aside 
from  its  character  as  an  atonement  for  sin,  embodies  and 
secures  the  death  to  sin  of  all  believers,  towards  a  new  life 
and  preparatory  to  it,  just  as  the  death  of  the  grain  of  wheat 
precedes  and  produces  the  living  plant.  The  death  of  Christ 
forms  the  central  attraction,  drawing  into  its  own  blessed 
fellowship  his  whole  body.  It  is  the  moral,  or,  better, 
divine  power,  by  which  his  people  are  made  both  willing  and 
able  to  be  crucified  with  him,  to  die  with  him.  And  thus,  in 
losing  their  lives,  they  gain  them ;  for  his  resurrection  from 
the  dead  embodies  and  secures  the  new  life  of  every  member, 
in  view  of  which  life  each  is  called  "  a  new  creature,"  or  cre- 
ation. And  thus  the  experimental  reality  of  the  death  and 
the  resurrection  of  Christ  is  carried  out  throughout  the  true 
church  of  Christ,  and  every  member  feels  with  wonder  and 
delight  the  divine  vitality  of  his  entire  atonement,  as  carried 
by  thousand  veins  and  nerves  to  the  furthest  extremities. 


THE   SOLEMN   AND    RESPONSIBLE   RELATION.  397 

Thus  he  sees  seed,  sprung  from  himself  after  his  soul  was 
made  an  offering  for  sin.  Thus  his  name,  the  embodiment 
of  all  that  he  is,  and  of  all  that  he  did  for  us,  " generates" 
an  uncounted  posterity  of  renewed  souls,  and  saints  l  i  made 
perfect"  in  him. 

(b.)  And,  as  their  birth  is,  so  is  their  entire  growth  into  the 
divine  life.  As  there  are  divinely  appointed  means  in  connec- 
tion with  which  it  pleases  God  to  effect  the  regeneration  of 
the  soul,  while  still  He  remains  the  only  efficient  cause  and 
spring  of  the  new  life,  so  there  are  like  means  of  sanctifica- 
tion,  and,  notwithstanding,  the  only  efficient  sanctifying  power 
remains  vested  in  God.  No  means  of  grace  can  of  itself 
nourish  and  perfect  the  new  life  of  the  believer.  It  is  that 
life  which  draws  strength  from  the  appointed  means  of  grace, 
just  as  the  spark  of  physical  life  seizes  upon  the  offered  nutri- 
ment, and  converts  it  into  the  body  which  it  animates.  The 
means  of  grace  for  sanctification  are  real  but  passive  means  ; 
the  divine  life  is  the  active  principle,  depending  for  its  con- 
tinuance upon  its  divine  spring  and  origin.  The  branch,  once 
cut  from  the  great  Vine,  withers  hopelessly  amid  the  genial 
influences  of  the  combined  means;  no  rain,  no  sunshine,  will 
save  it.  But  those  that  abide  in  him,  in  virtue  of  their 
permanent  living  connection  with  Christ,  "grow  up  into  him 
in  all  things  "  (Eph.  4  :  19)  ;  and  the  end  of  it  is,  that  at  last 
they  "all  come  into  the  unity  of  the  faith  and  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  perfect  man,  unto  the  measure 
of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ  (verse  13).  They 
live  no  more  themselves,  as  mere  copies  of  an  earthly  race 
of  responsible  beings.  Christ  Jesus  llveth  in  them.  They 
share  his  divine  life,  and  have  become  members  of  his  body 
to  eternal  ages.  Their  life  is  concentric  with  his  life,  in  a 
true  and  eternal  fellowship  with  him  who  is  the  Head  of  the 
34 


398  THE   SOLEMN    AND    RESPONSIBLE   RELATION. 

church.  In  glory  they  will  be  "  the  fulness  of  him  that 
filleth  all  in  all."     (Eph.  1:  23.) 

Truly,  men  thus  characterized  by  the  Scriptures  are  c  l  not 
of  this  world." 

(c.)  And  the  kingdom  to  which  they  belong  has  their 
supreme  affections.  They  "seek  those  things  which  are 
above,  where  Christ  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God."  They 
set  their  affections  ' '  on  things  above,  not  on  things  on  the 
earth  "  (Col.  3  :  1,  2).  They  "  are  dead,  and  their  life  is  hid 
with  Christ  in  God"  (verse  3).  JSTot  that  they  have  already 
fully  attained  unto  it,  or  were  already  perfect.  But,  being 
apprehended  by  Christ  for  this  glorious  object,  they  know 
that  the  attainment  is  divinely  insured,  and  thus  they  feel 
confident  and  cheerful  to  "follow  after"  it,  to  pursue  it  to 
their  last  breath.  And,  where  our  affections  are,  there  we 
may  expect  to  find  our  springs  of  enjoyment,  and  our  motives 
for  action.  Consequently,  if  a  man  be  a  Christian,  his  affec- 
tions, the  springs  of  his  happiness  and  his  motives,  all  are 
"not  of  this  world," — not  carnal,  earthly,  selfish,  but  spirit- 
ual, holy,  heavenly.  True,  in  all  this  he  has  to  sustain  a 
life-long  contest  against  inbred  sin.  His  spiritual  life  is  a 
living  process,  a  development,  a  race,  a  fight.  Perfection, 
triumph  and  rest,  are  in  prospect  before  him.  But,  whatever 
aberrations  the  attraction  of  neighboring  bodies  may  occasion 
in  his  course,  the  centre  around  which  he  moves  is  Christ,  the 
Sun  of  the  spiritual  universe ;  and  his  attraction,  superior  to 
all  other,  secures  the  permanent  relation  of  each  believing 
soul  to  him,  and  restores  each  to  his  proper  orbit  again, 
whenever  any  deviation  has  taken  place.  This  inward  posi- 
tion of  the  soul  necessarily  controls  the  outward  life  of  the 
believer,  identifies  it  before  God  with  the  life  of  Christ,  and 
thus  gives  it  its  appropriate  character,  as  a  life  of  faith  in  him. 


THE  SOLEMN  AND   RESPONSIBLE   RELATION.  399 

(2.)  To  these  disciples,  who  are  "not  of  this  world," 
Christ  has  given  the  Word  of  the  Father, — now  not  "words" 
(verse  8),  but  the  Word,  the  great  Divine  message  to  a 
perishing  world.  It  is  the  Word  "concerning  his  Son." 
He  who  is  the  eternal  creative  and  all-sustaining  Word  is 
also  the  centre  and  the  summit  of  all  revelation.  Take  Christ 
out  of  the  Bible,  and  the  sun  out  of  the  firmament,  and 
eternal  death  settles  upon  body  and  soul  alike, —  the  world  is 
a  chaos,  revelation  a  flash  of  lightning,  and  God  a  consuming 
fire.  Christ  is  the  flame  upon  the  golden  candlestick  of  the 
Sacred  Book,  and  the  Word  concerning  Christ  the  essence  of 
Holy  Writ.  With  this  word  in  their  hearts  and  on  their 
tongues,  they  bear,  within  the  scale  of  their  calling,  the  same 
relation  to  him  which  he  bears  in  his  calling  to  his  Father. 
In  some  important  respects  they  sustain  the  same  relation  to 
the  world,  also,  which  Christ  does.  Being  ambassadors  for 
Christy  God  beseeches  by  them,  while  they  pray  sinners,  in 
Chris? s  stead,  to  be  reconciled  to  God  (2  Cor.  5  :  20) ;  and 
their  intercessions  for  a  perishing  world,  and  their  self-denials 
and  sacrifices  for  its  salvation,  are  the  participation  of  the 
members  of  his  body  in  the  great  work  of  Christ,  according 
to  the  measure  allowed  them  in  the  dispensation  of  divine 
grace,  for  the  glory  of  the  sovereign  bestower  of  this  inestima- 
ble privilege. 

(3.)  Another  characteristic  feature  in  their  relation  to  the 
world  is  this, —  that,  although  their  message  to  the  world  is 
one  of  benevolence  and  self-sacrifice,  "  the  world  hath  hated 
them,  because  they  are  not  of  the  world  "  (verse  14).  In 
this  they  resemble  their  Master ;  and  they  share  his  fate,  as 
far  as  the  world  can  accomplish  it.  If  the  world  love  at  all, 
they  love  their  own,  and  every  worldly  man  chiefly  and 
supremely  himself.    (John  15  :  19.)    This  is  Paul's  opinion, 


400  THE   SOLEMN  AND   RESPONSIBLE   RELATION. 

who  will  not  allow  the  mutual  love  of  the  world  to  bear  this 
heavenly  name.  "We  ourselves,  also,"  says  he,  "were 
sometimes  foolish,  disobedient,  deceived,  serving  divers  lusts 
and  pleasures,  living  in  malice  and  envy,  hateful,  and  hat- 
ing one  another"  (Titus  3:3.)  Here  Paul  allows  no 
real  love  to  the  unregenerate  soul.  Still  there  are  affections 
in  the  natural  heart  of  man,  and,  such  as  they  are,  they  go 
out  towards  those  who  are  of  a  kindred  character ;  and  this  is 
now  generally  called  love  and  friendship.  Now,  will  those  nat- 
ural affections  be  extended  to  the  disciples  of  Christ,  as  such  ? 
No.  As  persons  of  information,  of  moral  worth,  of  an  amiable 
natural  disposition,  as  relatives  or  as  benefactors,  they  may  be 
esteemed  and  loved.  But,  let  their  religious  sentiments  and 
principles  cross  the  path  of  the  world,  disturbing  carnal  ease, 
condemning  carnal  pleasures,  or  calling  into  question  the  lofty 
claims  of  self-righteousness ;  let  them  proclaim  and  enforce 
the  terms  of  salvation,  urge  the  claims  of  the  divine  law,  and 
present  for  imitation  the  example  of  Christ  j  let  them  refuse 
to  join  in  what  is, —  refuse  for  conscience's  sake,  for  Christ's 
sake,  and  because  the  Gospel  will  not  permit  it, —  and  instantly 
the  hatred  of  the  world  finds  utterance,  be  it  in  curses  or  in 
sneers,  in  the  coarse  outburst  of  laughter,  or  in  the  smile  of 
wounded  pride.  To  be  loved  of  the  world,  as  worldly  men 
are,  is  utterly  incompatible  with  Christian  consistency,  how- 
ever modestly  maintained.  Christ  and  Belial  never  go 
together. 

(4.)  Christ  has  sent  his  disciples  into  the  world,  and  the 
commission  he  thus  gave  them  rests  upon  a  solemn  transac- 
tion in  heaven,  by  which  every  gift  and  power  is  covenanted 
and  secured  to  them  which  may  be  needed  for  the  discharge 
of  their  duty.  Christ  says  (verse  19),  "  And  for  their  sakes 
I  sanctify  myself,  that  they  also  might  be  sanctified  through 


THE   SOLEMN   AND   RESPONSIBLE   RELATION.  401 

the  truth."     A  few  sentiments  from  the  Epistles  will  set  this 
passage  into  a  clear  and  important  light. 

Christ  is  entered  into  heaven  itself,  to  appear  in  the  pres- 
ence of  God  for  us  (Heb.  9  :  24),  entering  into  that  within 
the  veil,  and  sitting  down  at  the  right  of  the  Father,  made  an 
High  Priest  forever,  after  the  order  of  Melchisedek  (6  :  19, 
20  and  1 :  13).  He  ascended  up  on  high,  leading  captivity 
captive  ;  entered  by  his  own  blood,  once  for  all,  into  the  holy 
place ;  offered  up  himself,  through  the  Eternal  Spirit,  and 
without  spot,  unto  God ;  obtained  eternal  redemption,  purged 
our  consciences  from  dead  works  to  serve  the  living  God  (9  : 
12  and  14),  and  from  henceforward  he  gave  gifts  to  men,  to 
be  apostles,  prophets,  evangelists,  pastors,  teachers,  &c.  (Eph. 
4  :  8  and  11).  Thus  he  consecrated  himself  as  the  eternal 
High  Priest  of  his  people,  and  "for  their  sakes"  received  the 
treasures  of  grace,  pours  out  his  Holy  Spirit,  and  imparts  to 
each  disciple  the  particular  gift  needed  for  his  respective 
duties,  and  is  with  them  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world.  He  is  the  spiritual  Rock  in  the  midst  of  the  sacred 
camp  of  the  church  militant.  From  his  bosom  gushes  the 
fountain  of  life,  and  out  of  his  fulness  each  takes,  daily  and 
hourly,  "  grace  for  grace." 

II.  Their  resources  of  grace  and  strength  to  sustain  the 
disciples  of  Christ  have  already  been  indicated  incidentally. 
They  are  great,  and  they  ought  to  be  so.  The  relation  of  the 
disciples  to  Christ  involves  a  responsibility  for  which  no  man 
is  sufficient,  and  their  relation  to  the  world  places  them  into 
the  most  difficult  and  adverse  position.  But  the  intercession 
of  Christ  for  them  has  made  them  infinitely  rich  in  grace, 
and  strong  in  him,  however  little  the  believer  may,  at  times, 
be  able  to  make  this,  his  spiritual  property,  available  to  him- 
self at  the  moment. 

34* 


402  THE   SOLEMN   AND   RESPONSIBLE   RELATION. 

Look  at  these  intercessions. 

Christ  first  asks  that  his  true  disciples  may  be  kept 
from  the  evil  or  the  wicked  one.  To  this  reference  was  made 
in  my  last  discourse.  But  this,  while  amply  sufficient  for 
their  own  salvation,  was  no  adequate  provision  of  grace  for 
their  work.  Therefore  he  adds,  "  Sanctify  them  through 
thy  truth;  thy  Word  is  truth."  (v.  17.)  To  sanctify  is  to 
consecrate.  Christ,  who  has  consecrated  himself  for  their 
sakes,  has  a  right  to  ask  that  the  object  of  his  consecration, 
as  the  eternal  High  Priest  of  his  people,  should  be  accom- 
plished, and  that  the  Father  should  glorify  the  Son  by  his 
active  cooperation.  Before  he  himself  should  enter,  through 
his  own  blood,  into  the  upper  sanctuary  an  High  Priest  for- 
ever, his  Father  is  already  to  commence  the  work  of  their 
consecration  for  their  great  work.  "  Sanctify  them  in  thy 
truth "  is  the  literal  rendering  of  this  passage,  which  de- 
serves the  careful  reader's  attention.  They  who  are  true 
disciples  of  Christ  live  and  move  in  the  word  of  truth,  as  in 
their  element.  They  breathe  it.  This  element,  like  all  the 
means  of  grace,  has  a  sanctifying  tendency;  and  if,  by  the 
agency  of  God,  that  power  of  the  word  be  felt,  the  effect  is 
produced,  and  perfect  success  is  divinely  certain,  all  human 
corruption  and  perverseness  to  the  contrary,  notwithstanding. 

What  the  Father  begins  by  anticipation,  and  at  an  ex- 
traordinary period  and  juncture  of  the  divine  economy,  Christ 
carries  forward  and  completes,  in  the  regular  exercise  of  his 
office  as  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  and  as  High  Priest 
forever  after  the  order  of  Melchisedek.  With  his  uplifted 
hands, —  those  hands  which  were  once  nailed  to  the  accursed 
tree  for  sinners,  but  are  now  in  possession  of  all  power  in 
heaven  and  on  earth,  and  full  of  the  exhaustless  treasures  of 
grace, —  he  will  consecrate  every  disciple  for  his  responsibili- 


THE   SOLEMN   AND   RESPONSIBLE   RELATION.  403 

ties  and  duties  as  a  Christian,  warranting,  by  his  high-priestly 
office  and  authority,  the  sufficiency  of  the  consecration,  and 
insuring,  by  his  sovereign  power  and  government,  the  full 
efficiency  of  the  great  transaction,  and  the  fruit  of  it  in  the 
salvation  of  every  soul  thus  set  apart  by  himself  for  his  ser- 
vice here  below,  and  for  glory  above  the  skies. 

The  consecration  of  converted  souls  for  the  service  of  God 
being  thus  the  joint  work  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  these 
souls  are  in  possession  of  resources  sufficient  for  any  purpose. 
And  that  possession  cannot  fail,  or  be  alienated.  Their  con- 
nection with  the  treasures  of  heaven  is  a  regular  o?ie, 
through  the  High  Priest  of  the  Holy  of  holies  in  heaven. 
Their  participation  in  heavenly  gifts  may  indeed  be  considered 
contingent,  and  depending  upon,  or  rather  connected  with, 
their  readiness  to  receive.  But  the  cause  and  the  effect,  the 
condition  of  receiving  the  gift  and  the  bestowment  of  it,  are 
forming  but  so  many  parts  of  the  scheme  of  salvation,  and 
the  whole  rests  in  the  hand  of  Christ. 

And  it  was  the  will  of  Christ  that  this  great  fact  should 
be  known  to  his  people,  and  therefore  he  makes  it  known  to 
them.  But  the  manifestation  of  the  fact  is  not  the  only  rea- 
son why  Jesus  speaks  to  his  Father  concerning  the  sanctifi- 
cation  of  his  saints.  It  was,  indeed,  important  that  these 
should  know  upon  what  high  ground  their  sanctification  rests, 
and  thus  have  an  unwavering  assurance  in  the  hour  of  trial ; 
but  the  chief  reason  must,  I  think,  be  sought  in  the  imparl- 
ance of  the  subject  itself.  The  sanctification  of  his  saints 
was  considered  a  subject  of  such  magnitude  as  to  deserve  a 
place  in  this  prayer,  and  to  be  made  at  this  solemn  season  a 
matter  of  audible  transaction  and  agreement  between  the 
Father  and  the  Son. 

As  already  observed,  the  sanctification  of  the  disciples  of 


404  THE   SOLEMN   AND   RESPONSIBLE   RELATION. 

Christ,  by  the  cooperation  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  is  to  be 
accomplished  within  the  all-pervading  element  of  his  Word 
and  truth,  whose  contents,  made  plain,  quick  and  powerful,  to 
them,  by  the  divine  spirit,  supply  to  the  believers'  living 
breath  the  congenial  atmosphere,  to  the  hungry  soul  the  hid- 
den manna,  to  the  longing  spirit  the  living  waters,  and  all 
that  by  the  constant  presentation  to  the  soul  of  him  who  is 
the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end,  the 
first  and  the  last,  the  Rock  of  salvation,  from  whose  bosom 
bursts  the  river  of  eternal  life. 

Surrounded  and  penetrated  by  agencies,  powers  and  influ- 
ences, like  these,  the  believing  soul  may  look  with  confi- 
dence upon  her  solemn  and  responsible  position  in  this  world. 
The  believer  is  not  allowed  to  doubt  of  his  success,  or  rather 
that  of  Christ,  nor  to  tremble  in  view  of  his  own  weakness. 
That  weakness  is  permitted,  not  to  make  the  promise  of  God 
or  his  purpose  of  none  effect,  but  to  make  the  strength  of 
God  perfect  in  it. 

Many  are  the  practical  truths  which  cluster  around  this 
subject.  But  time  fails,  and  I  must  close,  hoping  and  pray- 
ing that  the  truths  presented  may,  by  the  divine  blessing,  do 
their  own  work  in  your  souls,  whatever  your  respective 
position  and  spiritual  need  may  be.  May  the  salvation  of 
our  souls,  the  crowning  effect  of  God's  greatest  work,  namely, 
his  manifestation  in  the  flesh,  glorify  him  forever  !     Amen. 


VI. 

THE  BOND   OF   PERFECTNESS. 

Neither  pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which  shall  believe  on 
me  through  their  word  ;  that  they  all  may  be  one;  as  thou,  Father,  art 
in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us  :  that  the  world  may 
believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me.  And  the  glory  which  thou  gavest  me  I 
have  given  them;  that  they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one.  I  in  them, 
and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one ;  and  that  the  world 
may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me,  and  hast  loved  them  as  thou  hast  loved 
me. —John  17:  20— 23. 

We  now  enter  upon  the  last  part  —  and  quite  a  distinct  one 
it  is  —  of  our  chapter.  It  is  the  one  which  most  directly 
concerns  every  one  of  us  who  believes  in  Christ.  It  is  as 
personal  in  its  bearings  upon  us  individually  as  it  can  be 
without  mentioning  our  names.  Surely  it  ought  to  interest 
us.  and  to  engage  our  most  solemn  attention. 

I  propose  to  speak 

I.  Of  "the  bond  of  perfectness." 

II.  Its  object  and  its  reward. 

I.  In  the  part  of  this  chapter  preceding  our  text,  Christ 
seems  to  have  a  two-fold  object  in  view.  His  most  direct  and 
most  frequent  reference  appears  to  be  to  his  disciples  then 
living,  whom  he  was  about  to  leave,  for  a  season,  in  the  most 
melancholy  and  spiritually  dangerous  situation.  Still,  he  also 
speaks  of  those  whom  the  Father  had  given  him,  and  that 


406  THE  BOND    OF   PERFECTNESS. 

cannot  be  limited  to  the  believers  of  any  generation.  Besides, 
what  Christ  says  concerning  his  more  immediate  disciples  at 
that  time  is  applicable  to  all  disciples  at  all  times,  due  allow- 
ance being  made  for  differences  in  circumstances.  But  now 
Christ  professedly  and  expressly  extends  his  glorious  inter- 
cessions to  all  believers  in  every  age.  With  more  particu- 
lar reference  to  his  immediate  disciples  then  living,  he  had 
said,  "  Holy  Father,  keep  through  thine  own  name  those 
whom  thou  hast  given  me,  that  they  may  be  one  as  we  are." 
(v.  11.)  Now  he  encircles  his  wrhole  spiritual  church  in  the 
arms  of  his  love,  and  lifting  them  up  to  heaven  upon  the 
hands  of  his  potent  high-priestly  intercession,  he  says, 
"  Neither  pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which 
shall  believe  on  me  through  their  word ;  that  they  all  may  be 
one,  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also 
may  be  one  in  us."  (vs.  20,  21.)  This  transcending  union 
or  oneness  in  the  Father  and  the  Son  finds  its  expression  and 
outlet  in  the  exercise  of  that  peculiar  affection  of  all  true 
believers  towards  one  another,  "  brotherly  love,"  which  Paul 
calls  "  the  bond  of  perfectness  "  (Col.  3  :  14),  and  which,  in 
the  opinion  of  John,  enables  them  to  lay  down  their  very 
lives  for  one  another.  (1  John  3  :  16.)  This  bond  of  per- 
fectness is,  however,  not  so  much  an  exercise  as  it  is  a  gift 
which  every  true  believer  receives  from  Christ. 

But,  before  we  proceed,  let  it  be  deeply  impressed  upon  our 
hearts  that  no  believer,  in  any  age  or  portion  of  this  world,  is 
excluded  from  the  most  direct  relation  to  Christ,  the 
great  High  Priest.  Whatever  be  his  situation,  his  need, 
his  temptations,  his  doubts,  his  fears,  the  consolation  that 
Christ  interceded  for  him  personally  and  directly,  in  the  most 
solemn  hour  of  his  earthly  career,  can  never  fail  him.  In 
that  solemn  hour  and  in  that  matchless  prayer  he  united  the 


THE   BOND    OF   PERFECTNESS.  407 

c:  will "  of  the  Eternal  Son  to  the  meritorious 
intercessions  of  "  the  man  Christ  Jesus,"  in  behalf  of  all 
those  who,  throughout  all  ages,  become  the  objects  of  his 
high-priestly  office  and  his  pastoral  care,  in  order  to  secure 
to  them,  with  infallible  certainty,  those  spiritual  gifts  which 
infinite  benevolence  has  destined  for  the  elect,  for  whom  a 
boundless  ransom  and  purchase-price  was  paid  in  the  blood  of 
the  only-begotten  of  the  Father. 

Christ  sustains  a  universal  relation  to  all  believers,  and  a 
particular  and  personal  one  to  each  one  of  them.  This  our 
text  teaches,  and  the  propriety  and  the  bearings  of  this  im- 
portant fact  are  sufficiently  obvious.  The  universality  of  his 
relation  to  all  is  demanded  by  the  extent  of  man's  fall,  and 
provided  for  by  the  divine  character  of  Christ,  which  knows 
no  distance  of  time  or  place,  and  needs  no  medium  of  com- 
munication. The  particularity  of  his  relation  to  each  is 
demanded  by  the  wants  of  the  individual  believer,  and  pro- 
vided for  in  his  humanity,  in  his  real,  personal,  divinely- 
human  affection  for  the  believer  (affection  being  particular 
from  its  very  nature),  and  in  the  close  brotherhood  into  which 
he  has  entered  with  each  one  of  them,  enabling  him  to  be 
touched  with  our  infirmities, —  that  is,  with  thine  and  mine. 
Let  no  man,  no  angel,  then,  step  between  Christ  and  our 
souls  ! 

To  this  close  and  precious  relation  to  Christ  the  believer  is 
entitled  by  his  faith  simply,  without  any  reference  to  his 
proficiency  in  the  divine  life  (v.  20).  They  are  permitted  to 
avail  themselves  by  simple  faith  freely  of  the  intercession 
of  Christ ;  and  experience  will  show  them  that  by  doing  so 
they  will  profit  more  than  by  all  their  resolutions  and  strug- 
gles for  higher  attainments  in  the  divine  life. 

There  is  a  gift  accompanying  the  intercession  of  Christ 


408  THE   BOND    OF   PERFECTNESS. 

which  is  to  be  realized  by  the  believer,  and  thus  rendered 
available  to  him  in  and  through  his  believing  acceptance  of 
the  Saviour's  great  prayer  for  him.  il  And  the  glory  which 
thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  them."  He  has  put  his  own 
received  glory  upon  his  beloved  people.  To  appreciate  the 
import  of  the  term  "glory,"  in  this  place,  we  must  not  com- 
pare passages  where  it  means  approbation  and  honor  (John 
5 :  41,  44)  ;  nor  where  its  meaning  is,  either  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  divine  power  (11  :  4,  40),  or  the  state  of  celestial 
bliss  (v.  5  of  our  chapter)  ;  but  we  may  with  safety  look  to 
John  1 :  14.  —  "  And  we  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of 
the  only- begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth." 
This  seems  to  be  preeminently  the  glory  which  the  Father 
gave  unto  the  Son  on  earth,  and  which  Christ  chooses  to  give 
to  his  people  to  behold,  to  possess,  and  to  enjoy  forever. 

This  glory  of  Christ  contains  a  fulness  of  grace,  and  a 
fulness  of  truth.  The  fulness  of  grace  insures  to  the 
believer  the  free,  perfect  and  eternal  pardon  of  all  his 
sins  ;  his  deliverance  from  and  victory  over  Satan,  and  the 
world,  and  the  flesh ;  the  eventually  entire  sanctification  of 
body,  soul  and  spirit ;  perseverance  to  the  end,  and  an  abun- 
dant entrance  into  the  glory  of  Christ's  eternal  kingdom.  It 
insures  to  him  that  free  access  to  his  gracious  person  —  for 
he  is  personally  full  of  grace  —  which,  being  free,  is  alike 
available  to  all ;  to  the  weakest,  poorest,  most  ignorant,  most 
disheartened,  discouraged,  distracted,  harassed,  mourning, 
weeping, — yes,  almost  despairing  of  his  believers.  There  is 
no  hour  of  anguish,  or  of  thickest  darkness,  when  the  believer 
may  not,  should  not,  drag  himself  to  the  feet  of  Him  into 
whose  arms  he  used  to  fly  on  eagles'  wings,  in  the  raptures 
of  his  first  love.  He  is  alike  accepted  and  blest  in  either 
case. 


THE   BOND   OF   PERFECTNESS.  409 

The  fulness  of  truth  which  the  glory  of  Christ  contains 
is  that  eternal  and  unfailing  certainty,  both  of  his  work  and 
of  his  testimony  concerning  it,  which  permitted  him  in  our 
chapter,  and  in  many  other  places,  to  speak  of  the  particulars 
of  his  work  then  still  future  as  of  the  past ;  and  which  ena- 
bles the  believer,  yea,  obliges  him,  notwithstanding  all  his 
doubts  and  fears,  to  admit  his  own  salvation  —  though  impos- 
sible on  any  conceivable  human  or  angelic  ground  —  to  be 
not  only  possible,  but  true  and  real,  and  even  irrevocably 
certain,  in  view  of  the  work  and  the  testimony  of  Christ,  who 
cannot  fail  in  his  work,  nor  lie  in  his  word ;  and  in  which 
word  and  work  the  believer  believes  with  humble  gratitude, 
and  inward  peace  and  joy.  Thus  the  incredibility  of  our 
salvation  is  turned  into  the  undoubted  certainty  of  it,  because 
He  that  is  full  of  grace  and  truth  said  believers  shall  be 
saved. 

This  glory  Christ  gave  to  his  disciples ;  and  by  it  their 
personal  salvation  is  wrought,  against  ten  thousand  opposing 
powers.  Their  needful  spiritual  comfort  and  assurance  are 
provided  for ;  all  their  occasional  or  even  frequent  doubts 
and  fears  to  the  contrary,  notwithstanding.  And  the  object 
of  this  gift  is  the  same  with  that  of  the  intercession  of 
Christ,  "that  they  may  be  one"  (v.  22). 

Christ  has  prayed  that  his  disciples  may  be  one,  and  that 
here  below,  "that  the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent 
me.  and  hast  loved  them  as  thou  hast  loved  me"  (v.  23). 
And,  to  realize  this  great  object,  he  has  given  unto  them  the 
glory  which  the  Father  gave  him.  Now,  this  union,  or  one- 
ness, he  characterizes  by  saying,  "  that  they  all  may  be  one  ; 
as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may 
be  one  in  us  ;"  "  that  they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one. 
I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in 
35 


410  THE   BOND    OF   PERFECTNESS. 

one"  (vs.  21 — 23).  These  expressions  are  strong  and  deep, 
and  the  inquiry  in  what  sense  are  they  to  be  one,  according 
to  the  intention  and  the  petition  of  Christ,  can  be  answered, 
and  the  reply  can  be  understood,  only  in  proportion  to  every 
man's  experience  in  the  realities  of  spiritual  fellowship  with 
Christ  and  in  Christ.  But  what  is  specially  necessary,  too, 
is  to  keep  close  to  the  terms  used  by  our  Saviour ;  and  this 
we  will  endeavor  to  do. 

Christ  prays  for  those  who  should  believe  on  him  through 
the  word  delivered  to  the  world  by  his  inspired  apostles.  It 
is,  therefore,  by  faith  in  him,  and  in  the  exercise  of  that 
faith,  that  they  are  one,  and  intended  to  be  one.  Church 
order  and  government,  creeds,  doctrinal  views,  so  far  as  they 
are  consistent  with  a  living  faith  in  Christ,  and  the  thousand 
religious  differences  and  preferences  of  which  that  faith  ad- 
mits, are  left  entirely  out  of  the  question  here.  Uniformity 
was  infinitely  below  the  horizon  of  our  glorious  Saviour,  as 
he,  standing  upon  the  elevation  of  his  universal  high-priestly 
office,  pleaded  with  his  Father  for  all  the  spiritual  members 
of  his  body,  the  true  universal  church  of  all  ages,  climates 
and  languages.  If,  indeed,  spiritual  perfection  involves  not 
only  oneness  in  the  true  faith  in  Christ,  but  also  sameness  of 
doctrinal  conception  in  all  particulars,  and  uniformity  of  out- 
ward church  order  and  worship,  this  identity  of  doctrinal  views 
and  external  form  was  left  intentionally  to  the  development  of 
successive  ages,  and  will  be  —  yea,  can  be  —  only  the  result 
of  that  grand  ferment  of  the  human  mind,  more  particularly 
of  the  believing  and  sanctified  human  mind,  as  embodied  in 
the  church  universal ;  of  that  ferment,  I  say,  which  the  Word 
of  truth  and  the  Holy  Spirit  have  created,  and  which  they 
will  continue,  and  urge  onward,  till  Christ  shall  reign  alone, 
perfectly  and  forever,  on  all  the  earth.      But  Christ  prays 


THE   BOND   OF  PERFECTNESS.  411 

neither  for  the  uniformity  of  his  believers,  nor  for  their 
instantaneous  perfection.  He  prays  M  that  they  may  be  one, 
even  as  we  are  one."  Now,  the  Father  and  the  Son  are  one 
in  nature,  in  character,  in  design,  and  in  ivork.  The  unity 
of  true  believers  does  not  differ  in  kind  from  this  oneness  of 
the  Father  and  the  Son.  We  are  "born  of  God,"  "of  the 
Spirit;"  and  hence,  as  believers,  "partakers"  of  the  same 
"divine  nature."  Their  character  as  believers  must  be  the 
same  in  kind,  however  modified  or  shaded.  They  are  "born 
of  the  Spirit"  and  are  "spirit,"  that  is,  spiritually-minded, 
of  one  central  and  ultimate  design  of  life  ;  and  their  life  and 
work  must  turn  around  the  same  great  centre,  even  Christ, 
he  working  in  them  both  to  will  and  to  do  his  good  pleasure 
at  last,  notwithstanding  all  the  windings  and  failings  involved 
in  the  partial  sanctification  of  the  church  militant.  Again, 
the  oneness  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  are,  in  a  certain  sense, 
an  identity.  "As  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee." 
The  identity  of  two  different  persons  does  not  fall  within  the 
range  of  the  ordinary  laws  of  human  thought.  Hence,  the 
doctrine  of  the  trinity  is  a  stumbling-block  to  Unitarians, 
even  when  they  are  led  by  experience  and  Scripture  to 
regard  Christ  as  their  divine  Saviour  in  the  highest  sense 
of  that  term.  Blessed  are  those  who  either  receive  the  doc- 
trine in  singleness  of  heart,  or  else  have  eyes  to  see  what 
overlies  human  speculation.  There  exists  no  difficulty,  how- 
ever, with  regard  to  the  identity  of  believers,  as  one  organic 
body.  Nor  does  there  exist  any  in  their  being  thus  one  with 
Christ  himself.  It  is  not  an  exaggeration,  nor  a  mere  rhetor- 
ical figure,  when  believers  are  represented  in  Scripture  as 
members  of  the  same  body,  animated  by  the  same  divine  life, 
moved  by  the  same  divine  spirit,  destined  for  the  same  eter- 
nal relation  to  and  union  with  Christ, —  as  forming  unitedly 


412  THE   BOND    OF   PERFECTNESS. 

"his  body,"  who  is  "Head  over  all  things,"  to  be  forever 
"the  fulness  of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all."  (Eph.  1:  22, 
23.)  There  is  here  as  much  sobriety  of  truth  as  transcend- 
ing elevation  and  soul-enrapturing  glory.  Once  more,  their 
1 l  fellowship  is  with  the  Father  and  with  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ;"  but  with  the  Father  only,  and  forever,  through 
the  Son.  "  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be 
made  perfect  in  one."  On  this  sentiment  I  need  not  enlarge. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  oneness  of  believers  is  once  more 
and  strongly  characterized  here.  It  consists  of  the  being  of 
Christ  in  them,  and  thus  of  the  presence  of  the  Father  and 
of  the  Son  in  their  souls,  regenerated  and  moved  by  the 
Spirit  of  both.  And  this  his  presence  in  them  makes  them 
"  perfect  in  one,"  according  to  the  view  and  the  prayer  of 
Christ.  All  else  is  left  out  of  the  question.  The  realization 
of  growing  harmony  in  doctrinal  particulars,  or  ecclesiastical 
perfection,  was  left  to  the  revolving  centuries,  as  their  ap- 
pointed task.  All  that  is  to  be  regretted,  in  the  division 
existing  among  Christians  on  earth,  is  the  division  of  heart, 
the  want  of  faith,  the  lack  of  charity.  Those  who  mourn 
because  those  who  believe  are  still  divided  in  church  regula- 
tions and  on  some  doctrinal  points  are,  as  it  were,  mourning 
over  children  of  various  statuie,  because  they  were  not  born 
full-grown  men  and  women.  Every  soul  that  is  one  with 
Christ  by  faith  is  "made  perfect  in  one"  with  his  true  peo- 
ple on  earth,  and  should  have  no  other  care  than  to  illustrate, 
as  well  as  prove,  by  universal  "love  unfeigned"  to  all  true 
friends  of  Christ,  that  there  is  a  bond  of  perfectness  thrown 
around  his  body,  stronger  than  death,  and  more  truly  pre- 
cious than  all  the  kindest  feelings  of  man's  unsanctified  heart 
towards  his  fellow-men. 

II.   The  object  which  Jesus  had  in  view  in  all  this  was 


THE  BOND    OF   PERFECTNESS.  413 

"that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me"  (v.  21), 
and  "  that  the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me,  and 
hast  loved  them,  as  thou  hast  loved  me"  (v.  23). 

"The  world,"  in  this  connection,  is  obviously  not  the  world 
as  consciously  arrayed  in  arms  against  Jehovah,  and  against 
his  anointed.  Of  these  he  says,  "The  world  hath  hated 
them ;"  and  for  the  world,  in  that  sense,  he  does  not  pray  at 
all  (v.  9).  The  world,  in  the  sense  of  this  passage,  are  those 
who,  though  belonging  to  the  world  as  yet,  are  in  a  recover- 
able condition :  subjects  of  hope,  and,  therefore,  subjects  of 
Gospel  labor,  having  yet  the  possibility  before  them  to  "be- 
lieve "  and  to  " know"  that  the  Father  sent  his  Son  into  the 
world  to  save  sinners.  Hence  it  is,  that  although  Christ 
does  not  positively  pray  for  them,  his  divine  charity  sweeps 
close  by  them,  and  a  conditional  petition,  a  desire  of  his  heart 
respecting  them,  rises  to  heaven,  the  effects  of  which  eternity 
will  reveal.  The  world  is  to  see  —  this  is  what  he  prayer- 
fully desires  —  in  the  pious  fellowship  of  believers,  both 
among  themselves  and  with  Christ,  a  proof  that  there  is  a 
divine  transforming  and  sanctifying  power  clearly  discernible 
in  the  souls  of  true  believers ;  a  power  bearing  witness  to  the 
great  central  fact  of  revelation,  namely,  that  of  the  manifest- 
ation of  God  in  the  flesh,  and  to  the  reality  of  the  salvation 
of  sinners  by  the  death  of  Christ.  Being  at  first  led  by  the 
oneness  of  Christians  with  Christ  and  among  themselves,  by 
faith  in  him,  to  "believe"  these  great  truths,  the  world  is  to 
experience  their  transforming  power  also,  and  thus  to  "know" 
that  the  Father  loved,  and  will  forever  love,  the  redeemed  in 
Christ,  and  for  Christ's  sake,  substantially  with  the  same  love 
with  which  he  loves  the  Son  himself,  whom,  indeed,  he  actu- 
ally gave  up,  a  free  and  voluntary  ransom  for  their  souls. 
Christ  in  one  scale  of  the  balance,  the  salvation  of  the 
35* 


414  THE   BOND    OF   PERFECTNESS. 

redeemed  in  the  other ;  the  balance  in  the  Father's  hand,  and 
his  eye  and  heart  upon  both  scales ;  and  the  result  was  the 
great  work  of  the  redemption  of  these  souls,  through  the  death 
of  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father,  "that  the  world  may 
know  "  that  thou  "hast  loved  them  even  as  thou  hast  loved 
me."  This  divine  affection  has  so  direct  a  reference  to  the 
redeemed  personally,  that  our  Saviour  does  not  hesitate  to 
say,  "  And  I  say  not  unto  you  that  I  will  pray  the  Father 
for  you ;  for  the  Father  himself  loveth  you,  because  ye  have 
loved  me,  and  have  believed  that  I  came  out  from  God  "  (16  : 
26,  27).  These  are  stupendous  truths,  but  they  are  plainly 
taught  by  Christ  himself;  and  "he  that  hath  an  ear  to  hear, 
let  him  hear." 

A  few  remarks,  and  I  have  done. 

1.  The  inward  life  of  the  true  believer,  his  calling,  his 
relations  both  to  the  church  and  to  Christ,  his  present  privi- 
leges, and  his  future  prospects,  are  beyond  expression  elevated. 
Here  is  the  divine  image,  though  not  yet  perfectly,  still 
really  and  unquestionably  reinstated  into  its  primitive  dig- 
nity, to  which  is  added  the  glory  of  God  manifested  in  the 
flesh,  and  all  the  splendors  of  that  dying  love  which  God  him- 
self "  commendeth  "  as  alone  worthy  of  that  name  in  its 
highest  sense.  The  believer's  life  is  the  life  of  God  in  him ; 
his  calling,  a  constantly  growing  conformity  to  Christ,  the 
King  of  glory,  whom  all  the  heavens  adore,  and  whose  nod 
the  universe  obeys ;  his  relation  to  Christ  is  personal  and 
intimate ;  that  to  the  body  of  believers,  sweet  and  profitable, 
and  a  great  blessing  to  a  perishing  world.  His  present 
privileges  are  limited  only  by  the  exercise  of  his  own  faith, 
a  fulness  of  grace  and  of  truth.  Has  future  prospects  are  a 
seat  with  Christ  in  his  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory. 

2.  Harmony  *n  Christ,  and  the  most  expansive  fraternal 


THE   BOND    OF   PERFECTNESS.  415 

charity,  are  as  solemn  a  duty  to  every  believer  as  they  are  a 
high  privilege  and  a  precious  blessing.  They  are  a  most 
important  means  of  grace  to  those  whom  "  the  Lord  our  God 
shall  call."  Let  those  who  love  Christ  see  that  they  abound 
in  brotherly  love,  in  love  unfeigned,  lest  the  blood  of  soul  be 
found  in  their  hands  at  the  last  day ! 

3.  Christian  union,  in  its  proper  sense,  has  always 
existed,  and  will  always  exist,  among  those  who  truly  know 
Christ.  Not  that  believers  have  no  reason  to  be  deeply 
humbled,  in  view  of  their  great  short-coming  in  this  grace ; 
they  are,  at  least  in  our  days,  deplorably  cold  and  heartless, 
in  cases  without  number.  Nor  will  all  of  his  loveless  pro- 
fessors of  religion  be  found  to  have  been  Christians  at  the 
last  day.  But  it  remains  true,  notwithstanding,  that  the  fel- 
lowship of  Christians  is  the  sweetest  in  the  world,  and  bears 
the  clear  impress  of  its  divine  origin.  Those  who  strive  for 
uniformity,  instead  of  union,  among  Christians,  need  not 
wonder  at  the  small  success  of  their  efforts.  Christ  has  no 
sympathy  with  them,  nor  ever  prayed  for  their  success.  Let 
them  settle  their  accounts  with  our  text  as  best  they  can, 
comparing  diligently  Paul's  great  chapter  on  charity,  or  love, 
1  Cor.  13. 


VII. 

THE  GREAT  DEMAND. 

Father,  I  will  that  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given  me  be  with  me  where 
I  am  ;  that  they  may  behold  my  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me ;  for  thou 
lovedst  me  before  the  foundation  of  the  world.  —  John  17  :  24. 

Now  Christ  has  done  with  that  part  of  his  great  interces- 
sory prayer  which  relates  to  the  earthly  condition  and  career 
of  his  disciples,  and  their  work  here  below.  •  Now  he  soars 
beyond  the  sky,  and  finishes  his  petitions  on  their  behalf  in 
the  highest  realms  of  that  "  eternal  weight  of  glory  "  which 
no  eye  hath  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  and  which  hath  not  entered 
into  the  heart  of  man  here  below. 

But  the  expressions  "  intercessory  prayer  "  and  "  petition," 
which  I  have  just  used,  are  no  more  properly  applicable  in 
the  remaining  three  verses  of  this  chapter.  So  elevated  is 
the  ground  which  Jesus  now  takes,  in  speaking  to  his  Father, 
that  none  else  but  the  eternal  and  equal  Son  could  have 
spoken  thus,  without  blasphemous  presumption.  In  approach- 
ing, therefore,  the  contemplation  of  our  text,  I  shall  have  to 
speak  of  the  Great  Demand  which  our  Saviour  made ;  and, 
more  particularly, 

I.  Of  the  dignity  of  its  character. 

II.  Of  the  abode  and  the  enjoyments  it  secures 

TO    BELIEVERS. 

I.     Hitherto,  Christ  has  prayed  to  his  Father  for  his  more 


THE   GREAT  DEMAND.  417 

immediate  disciples,  and  for  all  believers.  His  prayer  was, 
however,  not  like  our  prayers.  It  was  resplendent  with  the 
glory  of  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father.  Never  man 
prayed  like  him.  Every  breath  was  an  eternal  reality.  Of 
him  it  might  have  been  said,  he  prayed  and  it  was.  Still, 
what  he  uttered  thus  far  in  this  chapter  was  in  the  form  of 
prayer,  and  intentionally  so.  But  now,  drawing  near  the 
close,  he  takes  the  highest  ground  that  can  be  taken, —  ground 
that  can  be  taken  by  him  alone  who  is,  not  a  son,  but  the 
Son  of  the  Father.  He  wills  !  He  might  have  kept  up  to 
the  end  of  the  chapter  the  form  of  petition,  and  his  object 
of  securing  to  believers  the  intended  blessings  would  have 
been  equally  secured.  He  would  have  run  no  risk  of  being 
denied.  But  he  chooses,  no  doubt  purposely,  to  utter  a 
decision,  to  indulge-  in  an  act  of  his  personal  will ;  and  that 
in  an  address  to  the  Majesty  of  heaven,  and  on  one  of  the 
most  elevated  and  important  subjects  conceivable,  namely, 
the  eternal  abode  and  bliss  of  all  believers. 

The  will  of  every  created  moral  being  in  the  universe, 
sustaining  a  proper  relation  to  the  Creator,  is  entirely  depend- 
ent upon  the  sovereign  will  of  God,  even  in  the  smallest 
possible  concerns.  The  subordination  of  such  a  sanctified 
but  finite  will  to  the  absolute  will  is  a  self-evident  moral 
duty,  and  the  weight  and  measure  of  every  volition  which  is 
in  harmony  with  the  universal  law  of  holiness.  It  is  felt,  and 
willingly  and  conscientiously  expressed,  by  all  right-feeling 
moral  agents,  in  every  suitable  way ;  but  especially  by  believers 
on  earth,  and  most  particularly  when  they  are  engaged  in 
prayer  to  Him  who  "  doeth  according  to  his  will  in  the  army 
of  heaven  and  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  ;  whose 
hand  none  can  stay,  and  to  whom  none  can  say,  What  doest 
thou?" 


418  THE   GREAT  DEMAND. 

But,  notwithstanding  this,  here  Jesus  wills,  simply  and 
positively,  and  that  with  reference  to  the  most  momentous, 
eternal  concern,  disposing  in  favor  of  his  disciples  of  the 
highest  realm  of  glory ;  and  he  expresses  that  will  in  a  direct 
address  to  his  Father,  and  still  he  meets  with  no  frown. 

This  opens  before  us  an  important  field  of  meditation,  upon 
which,  though  we  cannot  enter  it,  we  shall  have  to  bestow  a 
few  thoughts  indispensable  for  our  present  purpose.  The  life 
of  Jesus  exhibits  a  two-fold  stream  of  moral  being  and  agency, 
both  penetrating  each  other,  and  blending  with  each  other  in 
indissoluble  and  free  harmony,  as  constituting  the  one  life  of 
one  and  the  same  matchless  individuality ;  —  the  one  of  these 
two  life-currents  being  human,  dependent  and  submissive; 
the  other,  divine,  sovereign,  and  absolutely  free.  This  life  of 
Christ,  thus  constituted,  was,  to  his  last  breath,  partly  vicari- 
ous or  meritorious  for  us  towards  God,  and  partly  a  pattern 
for  our  imitation.  So  far  as  these  two  weighty  objects  of  his 
earthly  career  went,  he  exhibited  the  most  perfect,  holy  de~ 
pendence  and  reliance  upon  the  sovereign  pleasure  of  the 
Father.  "  And  he  went  a  little  further,  and  fell  on  his  face, 
and  prayed,  saying,  0  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this 
cup  pass  from  me ;  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou 
wilt."  Do  we  need  further  proof?  But  that  life  of  the 
most  perfect,  holy  dependence  and  reliance  upon  the  sovereign 
pleasure  of  the  Father,  was  the  life  of  the  Eternal  So?i 
manifested  in  the  flesh ;  and,  whenever  there  was  no  occasion 
either  for  vicarious  obedience  or  for  an  example  of  holy  obe- 
dience, the  Son  could  assume  his  divine  prerogatives,  and 
show  forth  his  divine  glory.  And,  moreover,  as  we  cannot 
rely  on  any  but  a  divine  Saviour,  it  was  indispensable  for  our 
salvation  that  we  should  know,  believe  and  realize,  this  great 
fact ;  and  therefore  we  do  behold  rays  of  divine  majesty  beam 


THE   GREAT   DEMAND.  419 

forth  from  the  life  of  the  despised  man  of  sorrows,  and  the 
meek  and  lowly  Jesus  makes  no  effort  to  hide  them.  "The 
Father  worketh  hitherto,"  he  says,  "and  /wrork."  "Before 
Abraham  was,  I  am."  "  If  ye  believe  not  that  I  am  he,  ye 
shall  die  in  your  sins."  "  I  will,  be  thou  clean."  "  As  the 
Father  raiseth  up  the  dead  and  quickeneth  them,  even  so  the 
Son  quickeneth  wThom  he  will."  "All  men  should  honor 
the  Son  even  as  they  honor  the  Father."  "I  and  my 
Father  are  one."  And  now,  "Father,  I  will  that  they  also 
whom  thou  hast  given  me  be  with  me  where  I  am." 

The  right  of  Jesus  to  indulge  and  to  express  a  positive 
individual  will,  even  with  regard  to  so  momentous  a  ques- 
tion as  the  eternal  abode  and  condition  of  his  people,  rests 
upon  his  divine  character.  And  that  will  was  sovereign, 
and  its  exercise  safe,  without  either  infringing  upon  the 
unity  of  the  Supreme  Being,  or  endangering  the  order  and 
the  happiness  of  the  moral  universe,  because  of  the  essential 
and  eternal  union  of  the  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost, 
in  the  one  eternally  undivided  Trinity,  of  whose  Persons  one 
is  like  all,  all  like  one,  in  divine  perfection,  dignity  and  right. 

Thus  the  demand  of  Christ  respecting  the  eternal  abode 
and  condition  of  his  people  is  clothed  with  the  dignity  of 
those  decisions  and  decrees  which  emanate  from  the  infallible 
and  sovereign  council  of  the  Supreme  Being.  What  he  asks 
for,  or  wills,  is  unfailingly  the  will  of  the  Divine  Mind,  and 
secured,  though  heaven  and  earth  pass  away. 

II.  But  what  abode  does  Christ  thus  provide  for  his  dis- 
ciples? "  That  they  "  "  whom  thou  hast  given  me  be  with 
me,  where  I  am." 

"  Where  shall  I  be  after  death  ?  "  is  a  very  serious  ques- 
tion. The  Christian  answers,  "  In  heaven."  But  where  is 
heaven !     Above    the  blue   sky,    which  is  but  empty  air 


420  THE   GREAT   DEMAND. 

and  space,  or  else  in  some  happy  region  of  distant  stars  1 
Am  I  to  be  transferred,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  to  incon- 
ceivable distances  from  this  earth  1  My  heart  recoils  at  the 
thought !  Is  eternity  a  kind  of  time,  and  heaven  a  place,  or 
are  they  together  expressive  of  a  state  of  mind  ]  Where  shall 
my  anxious  eye  find  a  sure  repose,  my  restless  soul  a  resting- 
place,  in  this  stupendous  inquiry?  But  "  why  art  thou  cast 
down,  0  my  soul,  and  why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me?" 
Thou  shalt  be  where  Christ  is.  This  removes  every  anxious 
thought,  and  pours  over  my  prospect  celestial  though  incom- 
prehensible light,  and  into  my  soul  sweet  confidence  and 
profoundest  peace. 

But  where  is  Christ  1  —  Here  we  must  remember  that  a 
direct  conception  from  the  actual  experience  of  this  great 
subject  is  not  the  privilege  of  mortal  man.  No  eye  hath 
seen  and  no  ear  hath  heard,  nor  has  it  entered  into  the  heart 
of  man,  what  God  has  prepared  for  those  that  love  him. 
Hence  human  language  has  no  terms  for  those  realities,  save 
figurative  ones.  It  is  also  to  be  realized  that,  however  con- 
descending God  may  be  towards  those  who  love  him,  and 
however  intimate,  even,  with  some  of  them,  he  can  never 
cease  to  be  alone  and  forever  a  sovereign  God,  matchless  in 
his  being  and  his  attributes ;  and  that,  however  elevated  the 
station  of  a  created  spirit  be  made,  however  high  his  privilege 
or  glorious  his  moral  likeness  to  his  Maker  may  become,  as 
eternity  rolls  on,  he  can  never  cease  to  be  a  finite  and  depend- 
ent creature,  infinitely  removed  from  that  state  of  being 
which  is  the  exclusive  privilege  of  the  Eternal  God. 

With  these  cautions  in  full  view,  we  are  prepared  to  ask 
the  two-fold  question,  "Where  is  the  abode  of  Christ,  and  of 
his  disciples  in  glory  V1 

Jesus  says  to  his  Father,  "I  come  unto  thee"  (verses  11, 


THE   GREAT   DEMAND.  421 

13).  lie  returned  to  the  glory  which  he  had  with  the 
Father,  before  the  world  was  (verse  5).  He  calls  this  glori- 
ous abode  his  Father's  house,  in  which  are  many  mansions, 
and  to  which  he  himself  will  transport  his  own  when  they 
die;  that  they  may  be  where  he  is  (14  :  23).  He  ascended 
up  on  high,  leading  captivity  captive.  And  whither  did  he 
ascend?  Paul  answers,  "  Far  above  all  principality,  and 
power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is 
named  (of  created  dignities),  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also 
in  that  which  is  to  come."  (Eph.  1 :  21.)  Says  the 
Eternal  Father  to  his  victorious  Son,  "  Sit  thou  at  my  right 
hand,  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool."  (Ps.  110  : 
1.)  And  the  Son  says,  if  not  to  all  his  followers,  at  any 
rate  to  some  who  remain  firm  and  faithful  in  certain  peculiar 
trials  of  faith,  "To  him  that  overcometh  I  will  grant  to  sit 
with  me  in  my  throne,  even,  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am 
set  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne"  (Rev.  3  :  21.) 
"  He  that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things."    (21 :  7.) 

According  to  these  passages,  the  disciples  of  Jesus  are  not 
merely  to  dwell  in  wide,  blissful  realms  in  heaven,  sitting, 
perhaps,  with  angels,  or  waiting  upon  seraphs,  or  bearing  an 
inferior  though  happy  part  in  the  celestial  choirs  led  on  by 
archangels  and  principalities ;  but  they  are  to  be  in  the  pecu- 
liar and  personal  nearness  of  Jesus  enthroned  in  glory ;  near 
to  him  in  a  sense  in  which  no  other  inhabitants  of  heaven  enjoy 
the  privilege.  They  dwell  in  his  Father's  house,  with 
Christ,  as  the  Levite3  used  to  live  in  the  earthly  house  of  God, 
in  chambers  leaning  directly  upon  the  walls  of  the  house,  and 
encircling  in  closest  contact  both  the  Sanctuary  and  the 
Holy  of  holies,  their  habitations  being  with  these  holy  places 
under  one  roof.  On  earth  they  were  themselves  "  a  building 
fitly  framed  together,"  "an  holy  temple  in  the  Lord,"  "an 

m 


422  THE    GREAT   DEMAND. 

habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit"  (Eph.  2:  21,  22); 
there  they  will  live  in  closest  contact  with  Jesus,  where  he  is 
in  that  peculiarly  privileged  realm  or  state  termed  his  Fath- 
er's house ;  or,  on  still  higher  ground,  his  Father's  and  his 
throne.  This  latter  conception  is  altogether  too  much  for 
human  nature ;  shrinking,  as  it  must,  before  this  burst  of 
glory,  in  view  of  its  own  nothingness  and  vileness.  Notwith- 
standing, faith  rallies  again,  and,  obedient  to  the  Word  of  God, 
confesses  that  the  merits  of  our  Divine  Saviour  are  sufficient 
to  effect  even  that ;  and  that,  so  far  as  Christ  is  "  the  head 
over  all  to  the  church"  and  the  church  "  his  body,  the  ful- 
ness of  him,  that  (according  to  his  divine  nature)  filleth  all 
in  all "  (Eph.  1.  22,  23)  ;  there  appears  to  be  no  other 
appropriate  place  for  the  members  of  his  body  than  upon  his 
throne.  This  appears  to  be  Scripture  truth,  expressed  in 
figurative  terms,  but  in  sober  and  true  ones,  not  in  hyper- 
boles and  exaggeration.  But  what  the  realities  themselves 
will  reveal  to  the  sight  and  the  senses  of  those  who  in  yonder 
world  shall  "see  face  to  face,"  and  know  as  also  they  are 
known, —  with  what  dignity  it  will  clothe  them,  and  what 
pure  raptures  it  will  pour  into  their  enlarged  spirits, —  these 
are  questions  to  which  there  is  no  direct  reply,  short  of  heaven 
itself.  But  what  is  revealed  should  be  well  considered,  and 
received  by  faith. 

Jesus  says  they  should  behold  his  glory  which  the 
Father  has  given  him.  Said  the  Queen  of  Sheba  to  Solo- 
mon, "Happy  are  thy  men,  and  happy  are  these  thy 
servants,  which  stand  continually  before  thee,  and  hear  thy 
wisdom."  (2  Chr.  9:7.)  "It  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we 
shall  be,"  says  John;  "but  we  know  that  when  he  shall 
appear  we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he 
is."     (1  John  3  :  2.)    And  the  same  apostle  testifies,  "  And 


THE    GREAT   DEMAND.  rA  "       423 

the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine 
in  it ;  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is 
the  light  thereof."  (Rev.  21 :  23.)  The  glory  of  God  con- 
sists of  the  radiance  which  the  Lamb  shall  shed  over  the 
celestial  city. 

This  will,  indeed,  be  a  beholding  of  that  glory  of  Christ 
which  the  Father  gave  him,  and  which  is  identical  with  his 
own  glory. 

The  beholding  of  this  glory  of  the  Lamb  involves  a  sight 
of  Jesus  in  his  glory.  That  glory  is  the  manifestation  of 
the  divine  perfections  through  the  humanity  of  Christ  to  the 
church, —  that  is,  through  a  medium  adapted  to  her  human 
but  now  sanctified  and  enlarged  means,  and  organs  of  percep- 
tion and  experience.  Yet,  that  adaptation  implies  no  detri- 
ment to  the  divine  perfections  as  displayed  "in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ,"  for  humanity  itself  was  created  in  the  divine 
image,  and  is  in  its  original  formation  calculated  upon  a 
right  and  adequate  appreciation  of  the  divine  perfections. 

The  beholding  of  that  glory  involves  a  near  sight  of 
Christ.  All  that  might  be  called  distance,  creating  indis- 
tinctness of  vision,  or  allowing  the  intrusion  of  other  objects, 
is  intentionally  put  out  of  the  question.  It  involves,  there- 
fore, a  true  sight.  We  shall  see  him  as  he  is.  The  light 
that  bursts  from  the  Lamb  of  God  is  his  own  glory  and  his 
Father's.  It  is  not  reflected  light,  neither  do  we  get  it  by 
reflection  from  other  objects,  nearer  to  him  than  we.  Neither 
is  it  refracted,  or  discolored,  or  changed  by  sheets  of  created 
atmospheres  intervening.  If  ever,  here  below,  "  God  "  "  shined 
into  our  hearts,"  to  give  us  the  knowledge  of  his  own  glory, 
uin  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ"  how  much  more  there! 
Nothing  will  tarnish  the  expression  of  his  blessed  counte- 
nance. 


424  THE   GREAT   DEMAND. 

It  involves  an  adequate  poiver  of  vision  on  our  part. 
We  shall  see  him  as  he  is.  Here  our  spiritual  sight  ope- 
rates as  "  through  a  glass  darkly  ;  "  there  it  will  be  " face  to 
face."  Here  we  know  in  part;  there  we  shall  know  even 
as  also  we  are  known.  Here  our  ideas  and  our  expressions 
respecting  "  heavenly  things  "  are  all  figurative.  There  our 
perception  will  be  direct,  and  by  senses  fitted  to  perceive  the 
objects,  without  resorting  to  figures  and  symbolic  substitutes. 
So  likewise  will  be  our  ideas  respecting  them,  and  so  our  lan- 
guage,—  all  direct,  liberal,  adequate.  Our  enjoyment  will 
correspond  to  the  reality  and  the  directness  of  our  impres- 
sions and  our  knowledge.  Not  as  though  any  creature  could 
ever  have  a  knowledge  of  God  adequate  in  extent  (if  I  may 
so  speak),  for  God  cannot  be  found  unto  perfection.  But  our 
knowledge  of  Christ  and  of  God  will  be  adequate  as  to  truth- 
fulness and  reality ;  our  impressions  corresponding  to  the 
object  directly,  and,  as  far  as  they  go,  fully.  But  it  will  be 
even  in  extent  all  that  we  can  ever  conceive  of,  realize  or 
enjoy ;  all  that  our  ever-growing  faculties  will  ever  be  able  to 
grasp  and  to  drink  in,  in  streams  of  the  divine  perfections 
radiating  from  "the  face  of  Jesus  Christ.', 

A  sight  so  near  involves  the  hearing  of  his  blessed  voice, 
and  an  eternal  relation  of  holy  and  devout  intimacy  with  him. 
"  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  pre- 
pared for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  This  will 
be  their  welcome  to  his  presence.  And  is  this  first  word  to 
be  the  last  they  will  ever  hear  him  speak  ?  Are  their  ears 
henceforth  to  be  deaf  to  the  matchless  harmony  of  his  voice, 
or  too  far  removed  to  catch  the  rapturous  sound  again  ?  And 
will  he  never  speak  to  them  again,  after  that  first  welcome  ? 
Will  he  be  too  much  occupied  with  the  concerns  of  other 
worlds,  stars  and  galaxies,  to  speak  comfortably  to  those  for 


THE   GREAT  DEMAND.  425 

whose  souls  he  gave  his  soul,  and  whose  life  he  snatched  with 
bleeding  hands  from  the  horrible  pit  ?  —  The  supposition  is 
preposterous.  No,  indeed!  His  people  will  "hear"  his 
"  wisdom,"  and  be  charmed  with  the  very  accents  of  his  love, 
while  he  is  feeding  them  "among  the  lilies"  of  yon  blissful 
world,  and  leading  them  "  unto  the  living  fountains  of  water." 
(Cant.  6  :  8.  Rev.  7  :  17.)  They  will  hear  him  speak  with 
divine  authority  to  the  angels,  the  swift  messengers  of  his  vast 
empire,  and  with  tenderest  affection,  peculiar  and  personal,  to 
themselves,  who  are  the  purchase  of  his  blood,  the  inmates  of 
his  Father's  house,  the  sharers  of  his  glory,  his  "joint- 
heirs,"  the  members  of  his  body,  the  gems  of  his  mediatorial 
crown. 

But  the  prominent  feature,  the  central  ray,  of  the  divine 
perfections,  as  revealed  through  Christ,  will  be  that  of  free 
sovereign  grace,  and  dying  love  for  sinners.  "  The  Lamb 
is  the  light  thereof."  Whatever  revelations  of  himself  it  may 
please  God  to  make  to  other  worlds,  this  revelation  belongs 
to  us, — free  grace  and  dying  love.  This  is  what  we 
need,  what  we  love  to  see  nearest,  what  we  shall  wish  to 
view,  of  what  we  shall  desire  to  sing  forever.  As  our 
spiritual  vision  is  set,  the  very  universe,  viewed  through 
this  medium,  is  clothed  in  a  rainbow  of  peace,  and  shines  in 
unutterable  beauty  and  majesty,  as  the  work  of  the  Father 
of  lights  and  of  mercies,  created  by  him  who  loved  us  and 
gave  himself  for  us. 

This  is  the  enjoyment  which  Christ  has  destined  for  his 
people  ;  and  of  the  full  consent  of  the  Father  to  this  his  will 
and  decision  he  is  as  sure  as  he  is  of  the  Father's  eternal 
love  to  him. — "  For  thou  lovedstme  before  the  fowidation 
of  the  world" 

I  close  with  a  few  remarks. 
36* 


426  THE   GREAT  DEMAND. 

1.  Believers  in  Jesus,  you  see  here  what  is  just  before 
you,  there  being  but  a  step  between  you  and  this  eternal 
weight  of  glory  ;  and  can  it  be  hard  for  you  to  forsake  all  for 
Christ,  and  to  make  yourselves  a  whole  burnt-offering  upon 
his  altar  ?  Away  with  everything  the  world  can  offer  you, 
either  to  endanger,  or  even  to  diminish,  your  share  in  that 
blessed  kingdom  of  your  Saviour  !  Never  lose  sight  of  a 
heaven  so  sure  to  believers,  and  so  blissful. 

2.  Yes ;  so  sure.  Christ  has  decided  that  you  shall 
be  where  he  is.  And  who  will  turn  the  sovereign  decision 
of  his  loving,  faithful  heart,  and  his  divine  will  and  word, 
uttered  at  that  hour,  in  the  hearing  of  heaven,  earth  and 
hell? 

3.  Sinners,  as  great  as  the  glory  is  which  you  reject,  so 
great  will  be  the  ruin  which  you  bring  upon  yourselves. 
Now  be  warned,  and  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come, —  the  wrath 
already  near, —  lest  ere  long  you  shall  be  seen  amid  despair- 
ing, wretched  souls,  calling  on  the  mountains  and  the  rocks, 
and  saying,  "Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him 
that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb ; 
for  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come,  and  who  shall  be  able 
to  stand  Vs 


Till. 

THE  ETERNAL  DESTINY. 

0  righteous  Father,  the  world  hath  not  known  thee  ;  but  I  have  known 
thee,  and  these  have  known  that  thou  hast  sent  me.  And  I  have  declared 
unto  them  thy  name,  and  will  declare  it ;  that  the  love  wherewith  thou 
hast  loved  me  may  be  in  them,  and  I  in  them.  —  John  17  :  25,  26. 

Thus  our  blessed  Saviour  closes  this  matchless  prayer. 
For,  "  when  Jesus  had  spoken  these  words,  he  went  forth 
with  his  disciples  over  the  brook  Cedron"  (John  18  :  1). 
In  the  sentiments  uttered  thus  far,  and  aside  from  their 
intercessory  character,  Christ  had  poured  consolation  into  the 
souls  of  his  disciples  in  divine  fulness ;  and  matter  for  future 
reflection  was  communicated  to  them  in  the  most  solemn  cir- 
cumstances, well  calculated  to  engross,  in  all  ages,  the  devout 
attention  of  the  church.  Now,  in  these  two  closing  verses, 
there  is  in  part  a  last  reference  to  the  most  important  practi- 
cal truths  to  which  their  minds  had  just  been  called,  and 
partly,  and  chiefly,  indeed,  there  is  progress, —  a  progress, 
as  we  might; expect  it  at  this  moment,  "entering  into  that 
within  the  vail,"  and  melting  with  the  glory  of  a  blissful 
eternity  to  come.  This  will  appear,  I  trust,  in  the  course  of 
this  our  last  Meditation  on  the  chapter  which  I  have  endeav- 
ored to  so  unfold  to  my  hearers. 

We  are  now  called  to  contemplate  the  eternal  destiny  of 
believers,  and  more  particularly 


428  THE   ETERNAL    DESTINY. 

I.  The  preparation  for  it. 

II.  Its  eternal  realization. 

In  speaking  on  these  two  topics,  as  my  main  points,  I  beg 
leave  so  to  extend  my  remarks  as  to  embody  also  the  other 
important  terms  of  my  text. 

I.  In  the  observations  I  made  on  verse  three  of  this  chap- 
ter, I  endeavored  to  show  what  is  the  experimental  knowl- 
edge of  "the  only  true  God,"  and  of  his  Son  whom  he  hath 
sent  ;  and  how  this  knowledge*  is  eternal  life.  Such  a 
knowledge  of  God  and  of  Christ  we  were  obliged  to  deny  to 
those  who  are  without.  For,  although  we  readily  granted 
that  they  possess  a  kind  of  knowledge  concerning  God  and 
Christ,  still  we  saw  that  that  is  a  knowledge  not  unto  salva- 
tion, but  unto  judgment. 

Our  Saviour  goes  further  still,  in  this  place.  He  denies  to 
the  world  more  than  the  experimental  knowledge  of  the 
Father.  "  The  world  knoweth  thee  not."  Is  this  contra- 
dictory to  other  Scripture  sentiments  ?  —  No. 

Paul,  speaking  of  the  manifestations  which  God  "made  of 
himself  to  the  heathen  world  at  large,  and  which  he  is  still 
making  to  each  heathen  mind  in  particular,  by  the  works  of 
creation,  concludes  that  they  knovj  God,  whose  eternal  power 
and  godhead  are  "  clearly  seen  "  and  "  understood  "  "  by  the 
things  that  are  made,"  "so  that  they  are  without  excuse." 
Still,  he  maintains,  that  when  they  "  became  vain  in  their 
imaginations,"  "their  foolish  heart  was  darkened,"  and  that 
"they  became  fools;"  and  he  feels  authorized  to  say  of  the 
"Gentiles,"  in  another  place,  that  "they  know  not  God." 
(1  Thess.  4:5.)  Yea,  more.  The  Jews  were  possessed  of 
all  revealed  knowledge  of  God,  existing  eighteen  hundred 
years  ago:  and  still,  Christ  says  of  some  of  their  most  learned 
men,*  "They  have  not  known  the  Father  nor  me"  (John 


THE   ETERNAL   DESTINY.  429 

16:  3)  ;  and  he  charges  them  publicly,  saying,  "My  Fath- 
er," "of  whom  ye  say  that  he  is  your  God,"  "ye  have  not 
known"  (8:  54,  55).  From  these  passages  we  may  learn 
that  the  knowledge  of  God,  derived  from  the  works  of  crea- 
tion, or  of  providence,  or  even  from  his  written  revelation, — 
all  obtained,  however,  in  the  exercise  of  our  natural  powers, — 
is,  indeed,  sufficient  for  the  basis  of  an  eternal  moral  account- 
ability to  God ;  and  is  capable,  too,  of  being  kindled  into  a 
living  knowledge  of  God  and  of  Christ,  by  the  heaven-sent 
ray  of  inward  experience.  Still,  if  that  experimental  element 
be  rejected,  and  the  naturally  acquired  knowledge  of  God  left 
to  itself,  it  will  soon  and  certainly  be  distorted  and  darkened 
by  adverse  influences,  or  judicially  removed ;  and,  at  last, 
extinguished  in  every  practical  and  available  view,  so  as  to 
be  no  more  worthy,  in  any  sense,  of  being  called  a  knowl- 
edge of  God.  And  so  it  is  with  nations,  and  with  individ- 
uals. Ask  the  heathens,  ancient  and  modern, — ask  the  Jews 
and  the  various  kinds  of  Deists,  and  all  who  sympathize  with 
them,  what  is  the  character  of  God,  and  their  answer  will 
oblige  you  to  say,  whatever  correct  knowledge  they  may 
once  have  possessed,  now  they  do  not  know  God.  Their 
God  is  an  imaginary  being,  an  idol  of  human  fiction.  Or, 
ask  the  dying  infidel  the  same  question,  and  your  conclusion 
will  be,  that,  whatever  other  valuable  information  this  poor 
soul  may  have  had  once,  at  the  close  of  \  life  of  unbelief  no 
true  knowledge  of  the  character  of  God  has  remained,  to  sup- 
port or  to  direct  the  departing  spirit  in  the  trying  hour  of 
death.  In  short,  the  knowledge  which  the  world  has  of  God 
is  rather  a  knowledge  concerning  him,  not  a  knowledge  of 
him.  Derived,  in  the  exercise  of  our  natural  powers,  from 
causes  outside  of  us,  it  is  apt  to  be  perverted  or  scattered  by 
the  same  causes  and  influences  ;  and  unless  pervaded,  quick- 


430  THE   ETERNAL   DESTINY. 

ened  and  sanctified,  by  the  Divine  Spirit,  it  is  sure  to  set  in 
darkness  at  the  last  expiring  breath  ;  —  but  it  sets  only  to 
rise  again  on  the  other  side  of  the  grave,  to  pour  its  once 
abused,  now  peering  and  insufferable  light,  upon  the  culprit's 
guilt,  and  to  kindle  in  his  soul  the  fires  of  eternal  self-con- 
demnation. Thus  the  world  has  a  knowledge  concerning 
God;  but  himself  they  know  not,  and  they  "die  without 
knowledge." 

But  there  is  a  still  more  specific  sense  in  which  Christ  uses 
the  terms  here,  when  he  says,  "  Righteous  Father,  the  world 
hath  not  known  thee."  It  is  indicated  by  the  two  terms 
"righteous  Father."  They  are  chosen  with  precision  and 
emphasis.  They  are  the  very  poles  of  the  divine  character. 
The  term  "righteous"  designates  that  attribute  of  God 
which  leads  him  unalterably  to  do  and  to  require  that  which 
is  morally  right,  or  holy.  '  f  The  Lord  is  righteous  in  all 
his  ways,  and  holy  in  all  his  works."  (Ps.  145  :  17.) 
"Ye  shall  be  holy,  for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am  holy." 
(Lev.  19  :  2.)  The  term  "Father"  marks  the  attribute  of 
his  love.  "  God  is  love."  He  hath  no  pleasure  in  the  death 
of  the  sinner ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  so  loved  the  world  as  to 
give  his  only-begotten  Son  for  sinners. 

Now,  the  world  practically  deny  his  righteousness,  by 
neither  believing  in  the  reality  of  his  holy  law  nor  bowing 
to  the  thunders  of  his  threatened  vengeance.  They  cannot 
believe  that  the  law  of  God  should  be  as  strict  as  the  Bible 
makes  it,  and  the  scriptural  view  of  the  corruption  of  human 
nature  they  consider  slanderous.  They  deny  his  love  by 
rejecting  Christ,  whose  atonement  they  treat  as  needless. 
Their  God  is,  therefore,  neither  righteous  nor  benevolent. 
He  is  not,  himself,  holy  in  all  his  works ;  nor  does  he  require 
holiness  of  his  moral  creatures ;  nor  is  he  as  emphatically 


THE   ETERNAL   DESTINY.  431 

love  as  the  Bible  teaches.  "  Righteous  Father,  the  world 
hath  not  known  thee."     How  true  ! 

"  But  I  have  known  thee,"  Christ  adds;  and,  with  this 
single  expression,  places  our  feet  upon  an  eminence,  down 
from  which  the  ignorance  of  God,  in  which  the  world  is  lying, 
appears  most  awful.  For,  if  that  knowledge  which  Christ 
has  of  the  "righteous  Father"  is,  in  any  sense,  attainable 
by  the  world,  and  consequently  the  absence  of  it  chargeable 
to  their  contumelious  neglect  of  this  inestimable  acquisition, 
hoiv  deep  must  their  ignorance  of  God  appear  in  this  light ! 
how  black  their  guilt,  hoiv  terrible  their  just  and  inevitable 
doom  ! 

"But  I  have  known  thee,"  "righteous  Father,"  "and  I 
have  declared  unto  them  thy  name,  and  will  declare  it." 
Here  is  the  promise  of  Christ,  that  he  will  communicate  to 
his  disciples,  in  ever-growing  measure,  that  knowledge  of 
the  "righteous  Father"  which  he  himself  possesses,  and 
which  the  world  does  not  enjoy,  nor  can  receive. 

When  Christ  testifies  (Matt.  11 :  27)  that  no  one  (obdsty 
"knoweth  the  Father,  save  the  Son,"  he  evidently  speaks  of 
a  kind  of  knowledge  peculiar  to  the  Son,  and  excluding 
from  it  all  men  and  angels,  as  such.  "'Not  that  anyone 
(o&X — *«*)  natn  seen  tne  Father,  save  he  which  is  of  God  : 
he  hath  seen  the  Father."  (John  6 :  46.)  And  this  his 
knowledge  is  of  an  absolutely  divine  character.  "As  the 
Father  knoweth  me,  even  so  know  I  the  Father"  (10  :  15). 
These  two  magnitudes  cover  each  other.  "No  one  {old&U) 
hath  seen  God  at  any  time,"  says  John  (1 :  18).  For  He 
is  "the  King  eternal,  immortal,  invisible,  the  only  wise 
God,"  says  Paul  (1  Tim.  1:  17);  "the  blessed  and  only 
Potentate,  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords ;  who  only 
hath  immortality,  dwelling  in  inapproachable  light,  whom  no 


432  THE   ETERNAL  DESTINY. 

man  hath  seen,  nor  can  see,  to  whom  be  honor  and  power 
everlasting,  amen."  (6  :  16.)  Only  the  Son,  he  has  seen 
the  Father. 

But  Christ  intimates  that  the  knowledge  he  possesses  of 
the  Father  he  may  reveal,  and  that  especially  to  men  ;  and 
that  they  can  receive  and  possess  the  knowledge  thus  revealed 
to  them  by  Christ,  saying,  "And  he  (knoweth  the  Father) 
to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal  him."  (Matt.  11 :  27.) 
And  John,  speaking  of  the  invisibility  of  the  Divine  Being, 
adds,  that  "  the  only-begotten  Son,  which  is  in  the  bosom  of 
the  Father,  he  hath  brought  out"  from  thence  (not  merely 
"declared"),  what  from  eternity  was  his  exclusive  privilege 
to  see  and  to  know  "  of  the  Father."     (John  1 :  18.) 

Now,  what  knowledge  may  we  suppose  Christ  possessed  of 
the  righteous  Father,  or,  in  other  words,  of  the  holiness 
and  the  goodness  of  him- to  whom  he  sustains  the  divine  and 
eternal  relation  of  "the  brightness  of  his  glory,"  and  the 
express  image  of  his  person,  —  that  of  the  "Son,"  the  cre- 
ative "Word"  and  power  by  whom  he  "made  the  worlds," 
and  who  is  now  "upholding  all  things  (that  is,  the  universe) 
by  the  word  of  his  power  "  ?     (Heb.  1 :  2,  3.) 

The  knowledge  Christ  possesses  of  the  "righteous  Fath- 
er" must  be  estimated,  first,  by  his  capacity  to 'know  him. 
That  capacity,  be  it  remembered,  is  absolutely  divine,  bound- 
less, perfect,  and  in  every  respect  entirely  adequate  to  the 
unbounded  object.  "The  Word"  which  became  flesh  "was 
God,"  and  was  "  with  God."  Himself  "over  all  God, 
blessed  forever,"  he  was  in  eternal  fellowship  with  the 
Father,  capable  of  knowing  the  Father  by  a  kind  of  self- 
knowledge  or  consciousness.  The  conclusion  is,  that  the 
divine  consciousness  of  the  Father  himself  does  not  surpass 
the  knowledge  of  the  Son  concerning  him. 


TUB    KTERNAL   DBBTINY.  433 

That  knowledge  must  be  estimated  further  by  the  eternal, 
perfect  harmony  of  purpose,  counsel  and  operation,  existing 
between  the  Father  and  the  Son,  whether  it  be  within  the 
unexplored  depths  of  the  Divine  Mind,  "before  the  world 
was,"  or  abroad,  in  time,  in  the  vast  circumference  of 
created  being. 

I  said  above  that  the  Son  knew  the  Father  with  a  kind 
of  self-knowledge,  and  this  expression  is  appropriate  so  long 
as  we  consider  the  separate  personality  of  both.  But  when, 
lastly,  we  consider  their  identity  as  one  God,  and  the  only 
true  God  with  either  Spirit,  we  must  also  consider  the  con- 
sciousness and  the  knowledge  of  each  identical  with  that  of 
the  other,  or  the  others,  their  personality  still  remaining 
untouched  and  unconfounded.  The  bearing  of  this  consid- 
eration upon  the  knowledge  of  Christ  concerning  the  Father 
is  plain. 

What,  then,  must  that  knowledge  be,  especially  as  it 
regards  the  Father's  holiness,  and  his  love  ?  Holiness,  an 
adamant  rock  over  towering  equally  creation's  highest  star 
and  the  loftiest  seraph-thought,  and  burning  with  hundred 
thousand  lightnings  against  all  sin,  wherever  throughout  the 
boundless  universe  it  shows  its  rebel  front ;  love,  a  depth 
fathomless  as  eternity,  and  instinct  with  feelings  of  yearning 
compassion,  with  living  and  life-giving  thoughts  of  peace,  and 
schemes  of  benevolence,  preparing  bliss  and  glory  such  as  no 
eye  hath  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  heart  conceived.  Holiness 
and  love,  at  variance  in  their  separate  bearings  upon  the  eter- 
nal destiny  of  a  fallen  world,  were  reconciled  and  combined 
by  divine  wisdom,  and  brought  into  liveliest  and  intensest 
exercise  in  the  atonement  made  by  the  Son,  each  finding,  on 
that  ground,  its  claims  responded  to,  and  its  requirements 
met,  in  the  most  perfect  and  glorious  manner ;  and  thus  the 
37 


434  THE   ETERNAL   DESTINY. 

knowledge  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  concerning  each  other, 
based  from  eternity  upon  omniscience  and  joint  consciousness, 
acquired  (if  I  may  so  speak)  from  the  joint  work  of  redemp- 
tion that  which  is  the  peculiar  result  of  work  and  action,  as 
distinct  from  conception  and  purpose.  For  the  perfection  of 
the  Divine  Mind  does  not  consist  in  an  eternal  and  perfect 
sameness  of  stationary  perfection,  but  in  inward  vitality  and 
outstreaming  action,  rolling  one  sea  of  glory  upon  the  other, 
to  the  ends  of  creation ;  and  this  process  cannot  be  considered 
an  unavailing  or  barren  one  to  the  Divine  Mind  itself.  Thus 
it  must  be  with  the  work  of  redemption,  the  greatest  of  all 
the  works  of  God ;  and,  that  being  done,  Christ  could  say,  in 
the  fullest  sense  conceivable  to  us,  that  the  Father  knew 
him,  and  that  he  knew  the  Father.     (John  10  :  15.) 

Nor  was  that  knowledge  of  the  Son  reduced  to  less  ade- 
quate conceptions  by  his  self-humiliation  into  the  form  of  a 
servant.  There  was,  on  the  contrary,  especial  divine  provi- 
sion made,  that  Jesus,  while  on  earth,  should  possess  this 
knowledge  as  perfectly  as  he  ever  did.  In  1  Cor.  2 :  10 — 
1-2,  Paul  represents  the  Spirit  of  God  as  entering  into  all  the 
depths  of  the  Divine  Being,  searching  and  knowing  "the 
deep  things  of  God ;  "  and  then  going  oat  again,  like  the 
divine  breath,  to  reveal  .those  things  to  the  docile  minds  of 
believers,  according  to  the  measure  of  their  faith,  and  their 
various  capacities.  That  Spirit,  with  all  "  the  deep  things  of 
God  "  of  which  he  is  the  bearer,  was  given  to  Jesus  without 
measure.  (John  3  :  34.)  But  "  the  deep  things  of  God  " 
were  already  and  equally  Christ's.  They  needed  not  be 
given  to  him  on  his  own  account,  but  on  ours.  "  All  things 
that  the  Father  hath  are  mine,"  says  Christ  (John  16  :  15)  ; 
"  therefore,  I  said,  that  he  shall  take  of  mine,  and  show  it  unto 
you."     The  uninterrupted  connection  of  Jesus  with  the  celes- 


THE    ETERNAL    DESTINY.  435 

tial  world  he  himself  affirms,  by  telling  his  disciples  that  they 
would  see  heaven  open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
descending  upon  the  Son  of  Man.  (John  1 :  51.)  But, 
again,  lest  they  should  think  that  he,  while  here  below,  really 
needed  a  medium  of  communication  between  his  Father  and 
himself,  he  declares  that  his  descent  into  this  world  has  not 
removed  him,  in  every  sense,  from  the  heavenly  world ;  his 
jjresence  here  involved  no  entire  absence  from  there.  He 
calls  himself  "the  Son  of  Man  which  is  in  heaven,"  while 
actually  standing  on  earth  and  speaking  to  men.  About  the 
same  time,  he  declared,  unhesitatingly,  "The  Father  loveth  the 
Son,  and  showeth  him  all  things  that  himself  doeth."  (John 
5  :  20.)  And  just  before  his  death,  "  I  am  in  the  Father, 
and  the  Father  in  me"  (14  :  11)  ;  and  the  whole  is  summed 
up  in  the  words  of  Jesus,  in  whom  "  dwelleth  the  fulness  of 
the  Godhead  bodily  "  (Col.  2:  9),  when  he,  as  the  Son  of 
Man,  says,  in  the  face  of  his  enraged  enemies,  "I  and  my 
Father  are  one  "  (John  10  :  30). 

"  But  I  have  known  thee,"  he  says.  0  yes,  and  that  in 
the  highest  sense.  "  And  I  have  declared  unto  them  thy 
name,  and  will  declare  it,"  he  adds.  The  knowledge  he  pos- 
sesses of  the  "righteous  Father's"  name  he  communicates  to 
his  disciples,  and  will  constantly  and  increasingly  communi- 
cate. As  far  as  his  ability  and  his  willingness  to  reveal 
it  are  concerned,  there  are  no  limits  to  the  available  divine 
knowledge  within  our  reach,  till  we  are  "'filled  with  all  the 
fulness  of  God,"  — that  is,  of  the  knowledge  and  enjoyment 
of  him.  We,  ourselves,  are  our  only  limits.  We  arc  strait- 
ened in  our  own  bowels,  not  in  Christ. 

This  promise  of  Christ  accounts  for  all  the  overwhelming 
views  which  some  believers  have  had  of  the  holiness  and  the 
goodness  of  God.  and  for  all  the  unutterable  sense  of  heavenly 


436  THE    ETERNAL   DESTINY. 

sweetness  they  have  enjoyed,  in  the  love  of  God,  and  of 
Christ.  These  are  but  the  promised  communications,  in  an 
incipient  state,  of  the  knowledge  of  the  "  righteous  Father  " 
revealed  by  Jesus.  Incipient,  I  say,  for  it  is  obvious  that 
the  great  promise  we  are  contemplating  will  be  carried  for- 
ward in  an  eternal  course  of  fulfilment.  What  the  most 
privileged  Christian  ever  saw  here  is  but  the  dawn  of  that 
"  perfect  day  "  in  heaven  which  awaits  every  child  of  God. 

II.  But  let  it  not  be  supposed,  for  a  moment,  that,  in  the 
realization  of  these  blessed  purposes,  the  redeemed  and  sanc- 
tified soul  is  ever  to  become  independent  of  Jesus,  or  separate 
from  him.  He  is  the  Alpha,  and  he  the  Omega.  This  our 
Saviour  intimates  by  closing  with  these  words,  ' '  that  the  love 
wherewith  thou  hast  loved  me  may  be  in  them,  and  I  in 
them." 

The  obvious  import  of  this  concluding  sentiment  is,  that 
the  communications  made  by  Christ  to  his  followers,  of  the 
name  of  the  "righteous  Father,"  are  to  fit  them  for  receiv- 
ing into  their  hearts,  for  cultivating  and  enjoying,  that  same 
love  with  which  the  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  the  Son  the 
Father,  their  love  being  reciprocal  and  one.  This  love,  center- 
ing in  God,  they  are  to  receive  and  cherish,  experiencing  (1) 
its  infinite  and  unspeakable  sweetness,  thus  being  made  par- 
takers of  the  divine  bliss,  as  they  were  here  below  of  the 
divine  nature  (2  Pet.  1 :  4),  and  both  in  Christ ;  and  (2) 
its  transforming  poiver,  drawing  them  constantly  and  for- 
ever into  closer  fellowship  with  God,  so  that,  while  they  are 
"with  open  face  beholding"  "the  glory  of  the  Lord,"  they 
"are  changed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even 
as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord." 

But  their  connection  with  Christ  is  eternal.  As  their  life 
of  faith  here  below  was  but  the  life  of  Christ  in  them,  so 


THE   ETERNAL   DESTINY.  437 

their  life  in  glory  will  be  but  the  life  of  the  glorified  Son  of 
the  Father  in  them,  and  that  to  eternal  ages.  He  is  their 
head,  they  are  "his  body,  the  fulness  of  him  (Christ)  that 
filleth  all  in  all "  (Eph.  1 :  30).  They  are  indissolubly  con- 
nected with  him  as  his  body,  and  this  their  connection  with 
him  attaches  also  to  that  nature  in  him  by  the  ivhlch  he 
"filleth  all  in  all,"  they  being  called  "his  fulness"  with 
reference  to  it.  Therefore,  Christ  closes  the  whole  prayer 
with  the  weighty  sentence,  "  And  I  in  them." 

This  is  the  ultimate  and  eternal  object,  the  realization  of 
the  whole  scheme  of  redemption.  Here  salvation  finds  its 
centre,  and,  therefore,  its  rest, —  a  rest  without  rest,  a  rest 
involving  eternal  progress.  Jesus  is  to  the  believer  the 
beginning  and  the  end,  because  himself  endless.  The  dis- 
tance between  the  absolute  Godhead  and  the  highest  creature 
must  forever  be  infinite.  And  who  can,  in  any  sense,  fill 
that  infinite  distance,  but  God  himself,  descending  to  man, 
and  raising  humanity  into  union  with  himself,  and  to  a  par- 
ticipation of  his  enjoyment,  according  to  the  measure  of  his 
own  grace  and  glory  in  Christ,  and  the  ever-expanding 
capacities  of  the  soul  created  in  the  divine  image,  and 
redeemed  by  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God  ?  This  has  been 
done  for  us,  in  Christ ! 

"  And  I  in  them,"  —  and  that  forever.  Cast  your  eye  of 
faith  beyond  the  lapse  of  time,  into  eternal  glory,  and,  if  the 
words  of  Jesus  needed  confirmation,  you  would  get  it  there. 
Once  he  has  taken  upon  himself  our  nature,  and  has  become 
the  atoning  sacrifice  for  our  sins ;  and  he  will  keep  this 
character  forever,  and  with  it  his  humanity.  He  in  them, 
and  they  in  him,  is  the  end  of  the  atonement,  the  crown  of 
his  redemption.     And  this   end,  when  realized,  will   be  so 

glorious,  that  not  only  the  redeemed,  but  every  creature 

37* 


438  THE    ETERNAL   DESTINY. 

which  is  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  will 
give  him  everlasting  praise,  saying,  "Blessing,  and  honor, 
and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever."  (Rev. 
5:  13.)  "  The  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne 
shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  to  living  fountains  of 
water."  They  will  "follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he 
goeth."  "  The  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the 
temple"  of  the  holy  city,  their  habitation,  and  "the  glory  of 
God  doth  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof ;  " 
while  the  "pure  river  of  water  of  life,  clear  as  crystal,"  will 
flow  in  eternal  fulness  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the 
Lamb. 

"  And  I  in  them !  "  Amen,  we  reply.  Here  we  are 
willing  to  rest,  here  build  our  tabernacles ;  for  it  is  good  to  be 
here.  Christ,  in  whom  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwelleth 
bodily,  dwelling  in  us  in  yonder  world,  secures  to  us  the 
equal  and  everlasting  indwelling  of  the  Father  and  the  Spirit; 
while  he  who  wears  our  nature  will  ever  be  the  endearing 
cause  and  medium  of  every  ray  of  light  that  will  bless  us, 
and  of  every  river  of  bliss  that  will  pour  into  our  ravished 
souls. 

And,  now,  if  there  be  an  unconverted,  careless  soul  here, 
let  me  once  more  speak  to  you.  Again,  standing  between 
you  and  the  bottomless  pit,  I  must  and  will  ask  you, 
Whither  are  you  hastening  1  From  what  love  and  glory  do 
you  turn  away,  and  to  what  vile  sink  of  sin  and  hate,  to  what 
gulf  of  despair,  woe  and  wrath,  are  you  rushing  1  Reject- 
ing Christ,  you  reject  all ;  and  your  loss  and  ruin  will  be  as 
great  as  the  gain  and  the  bliss  of  those  who  will  live  with  him 
in  everlasting  union  and  glory.  May  he  who  can  turn  the 
heart  of  stone  to  flesh  turn  you  to  himself ! 


THE   ETERNAL   DESTINY.  439 

Christians,  followers  of  the  despised  Jesus,  behold  once 
more  the  hope  of  your  calling  !  Human  language  is  bank- 
rupt on  this  ground,  and  our  very  souls  are  oppressed  with 
the  faint  and  distant  view  of  this  "  eternal  weight  of  glory  " 
"which  shall  be  revealed  in  us."  But  so  it  is.  Divine 
benevolence  has  so  purposed  and  ordained,  a  divine  Saviour 
has  realized  the  Godlike  scheme, —  and  our  sins  and  hell 
itself  cannot  alter  it.  Now,  let  the  love  of  God  have  the 
entire  and  eternal  possession  of  our  whole  souls, —  let  us 
drink  in  the  unspeakable  bliss,  and  lay  down  all  the  glory 
of  it  at  the  feet  of  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  at 
the  feet  of  the  Lamb !     Amen. 


1 


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